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Ford EcoBoost 400 Betting: Take Kevin Harvick For Cup Title

Pete Pistone for Bookies.com

Pete Pistone  | 6 mins

Ford EcoBoost 400 Betting: Take Kevin Harvick For Cup Title

Stock car racing’s long season comes to a close Sunday when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series decides its 2019 champion. The Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will determine the title among the quartet of drivers who made the Championship 4.

Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick all have a shot at this year’s crown after advancing through three playoff stages over nine races. The format for Sunday’s race is simple: The driver who finishes best among the Championship 4 earns the crown. In the five previous year’s this format has been in play, the champion claimed the title by winning the race.

Here are the “Best Bets” for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400:

This Week’s Best NASCAR Bets

DriverMarketOdds
Kevin Harvick Winner+325
888sport
Martin Truex Jr. Finish 1-3-122
SugarHouse
Kyle Busch Finish 1-3-122
DraftKings
Denny Hamlin Finish 1-3-112
SugarHouse

The odds listed are current at time of publication but are subject to change.

PICK 1: Kevin Harvick To Win

The 2014 Cup champion put four wins on the board this season, only half of his win total a year ago. It was an up-and-down year for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver as Harvick and company looked to find a sustainable rhythm during the long campaign. Harvick began rounding into form during the Playoffs and earned his spot in the Championship 4 with a Texas Motor Speedway win to kick off the Round of 8.

Harvick is in the title race for the fifth time in its six years of existence and of this year’s quartet of drivers, he has the best record at Homestead. Harvick’s average finish is 4.5 at Homestead over the last 10 races and, since winning this race in his championship year of 2014, he has not finished outside the top-five. Harvick also has a series-best 373 laps led at Homestead. Bet Harvick to win at +325 at 888Sport.

PICK 2: Martin Truex Jr. To Finish 1st Through 3rd

Truex Jr. is one of three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the championship field, joining Hamlin and Busch. Truex captured the 2017 title when he won at Homestead. Truex Jr. has a series-leading seven victories this season, one of them in the Round of 8 at Martinsville to grab his Championship 4 berth.

Truex Jr. finished second in this race last year to champ Joey Logano for his fourth Homestead top five in the last eight races at the track. Bet Truex Jr. at -122 to finish 1st through 3rd at SugarHouse.

PICK 3: Kyle Busch To Finish 1st Through 3rd

Ford EcoBoost 400 Betting: Take Kevin Harvick For Cup Title 1

It has been an odd year for Busch, though he has won four times. Busch’s last victory came way back in early June at Pocono. Busch finished second last week in Phoenix to lock up his Championship 4 spot, his fourth career appearance.

Busch won the 2015 edition of this race to earn his first career title. He rides a string of four straight top-10 finishes at the track into Sunday’s race and has led a total of 343 laps at Homestead, second best in the series. Bet Kyle Busch at -122 to finish 1st through 3rd at DraftKings.

PICK 4: Denny Hamlin To Finish 1st Through 3rd

Hamlin pulled off the racing equivalent of a walk-off last week at ISM Raceway in Phoenix by winning the race to move into the Championship 4. He was 20 points below the cutline going into the penultimate event and put together a clutch performance to have a shot at the title in the finale for the second time in his career. Hamlin, in his 14th full season, is the only one of the four championship-eligible drivers without a title.

Hamlin has won six times this year, twice at 1.5-mile tracks like Homestead. He has won twice at Homestead, in 2009 and 2013 before the current championship format was in place. He led 41 laps in last year’s race on his way to a 12th place finish but he has five top-10 runs in the last six Homestead races. Bet Hamlin at -122 to finish 1st through 3rd at SugarHouse.

Homestead track facts

While the four championship contenders compete among themselves -- they all had their points reset to 5,000 each after the last playoff elimination round -- the other drivers in the field are simply trying to end the year on a high note in Victory Lane. The finale at Homestead has provided its share of drama since the new elimination format’s inception in 2014 and the odds are good that the 2019 edition will do the same.

Homestead is a 1.5-mile oval but it’s unlike the many other similar speedways on the schedule. What makes the south Florida track unique is its progressive banking through the turns, which provides drivers with multiple options and grooves.

The result is opportunity for side-by-side racing and passing; last year’s race featured 22 lead changes among seven different drivers.


Ford EcoBoost 400 Odds

DriverWinner1-3
Kyle Busch+325-122
Kevin Harvick +325-122
Martin Truex Jr.+325-122
Denny Hamlin +325-122
Kyle Larson+800+200
Joey Logano +1400+350
Brad Keselowski +2000+500
Chase Elliott+2500+600

Odds are from 888sport and are current at time of publication but are subject to change.

About the Author

Pete Pistone for Bookies.com
Pete Pistone
Veteran sports journalist Pete Pistone writes about the Chicago Bears, the NFL, Chicago professional sports, American collegiate sports and NASCAR for Bookies.com.