The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Brooklyn, Michigan and the Michigan International Speedway for this week’s FireKeepers Casino 400. It will be the first of two scheduled stops in Michigan this season. Joey Logano is the defending race champion and he will be looking for his second victory of the season in this week’s race. 11 different drivers have won the FireKeepers Casino 400 on multiple occasions. Logano will be looking to join that list and become the first driver to record back-to-back victories in this race since Denny Hamlin did it in 2010 and 2011.
Details
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400
Category: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Date: Sunday June 18th – 3:00 PM ET
Location: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan
Ryan Blaney stole the show when he picked up his first-career Cup win in last week’s Pocono 400. Blaney also became the 10th different driver to win a Cup race this season in the process. Only three drivers have picked up multiple Cup win this year with Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski on that list.
Past Five Winners
2016: Joey Logano
2015: Kurt Busch
2014: Jimmie Johnson
2013: Greg Biffle
2012: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What To Know About The Track
Michigan International Speedway has been extremely fast since it was repaved back in 2012. The track has multiple grooves for drivers to race and make a pass when they think the time is right. Track position won’t be as important this week as it has been in past races as drivers can make up substantial ground if this car is fast enough. There are six drivers that have a driver rating over 100 in the last seven races at two-mile oval tracks like Michigan. That list includes Logano, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Erik Jones.
The Field
Logano is the defending champion and he will be listed at +700 odds to win this race outright for the second year in a row. Truex, Johnson and Matt Kenseth are all listed at +700 as well. Meanwhile, Harvick is the sports betting favorite to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at +500 odds. Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch are all expected to be in the mix as well at +800 odds to win this race outright. Hamlin is listed at +1800 odds along with Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Jr. is coming off another brutal mishap last week and until he proves that his head is in a good place it simply doesn’t make sense to back him in any Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Kevin Harvick over Joey Logano
Logano won this race a year ago but nobody has been more consistent at Michigan than Harvick. The driver of the No. 4 Ford has finished in the top-five in seven of the last eight races at this track including five runner-up finishes. The fact that Logano won this race a year ago makes him an even better option to fade with Harvick since the sports betting value is there. Look for Harvick to continue his remarkable run of consistency at Michigan and finish ahead of Logano in this week’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
Top-Five Pick: Kyle Larson
The fact that at least one sportsbook has Larson at +2500 odds to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 outright is absolute insanity and it makes him worth taking at least a small chance on this week. Larson won his first career race at Michigan last year and he dominated the race at the Auto Club Speedway earlier this season. The best way to contend for the win at Michigan is to run near the wall and no driver has done that better than Larson this season. At long odds, Larson is an excellent value bet to finish in the top-five in the FireKeepers Casino 400 this week.
Odds To Win The 2017 FireKeepers Casino 400
Kyle Larson +500
Martin Truex Jr +600
Brad Keselowski +700
Kevin Harvick +700
Jimmie Johnson +700
Kyle Busch +800
Chase Elliott +800
Joey Logano +1000
Matt Kenseth +1500
Ryan Blaney +2500
Denny Hamlin +2500
Kurt Busch +2500
Jamie McMurray +3000
Clint Bowyer +3000
Erik Jones +4000
Dale Earnhardt Jr +4000
Kasey Kahne +7500
Austin Dillon +7500
Ryan Newman +7500
Daniel Suarez +7500
Field +3000
Click here to get all of the latest NASCAR betting lines at BetDSI including head-to-head matchups, props and odds to win each NASCAR and NASCAR Xfinity tournament!
