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Indianapolis hosts Sprint Cup on Sunday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 7/22/2016  at  4:34:00 PM
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Combat Wounded Coalition 400

Sunday, July 24th – 3:00 p.m. EDT
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Speedway, IN

Odds to Win Race

(For the latest Odds, connect to Sportsbook.ag)

Jeff Gordon will be making a temporary return to the track when the Sprint Cup Series heads to Speedway on Sunday. Gordon will be replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in this race, as Hendrick Motorsports needed somebody to fill in for its concussed superstar. While Earnhardt Jr.’s concussion is nothing to be happy about, fans will be looking forward to seeing Gordon back behind the wheel on Sunday. He has won this race a record five times, but Jimmie Johnson will be looking to tie that number in this race. Last year, Kyle Busch was the winner and it was his first time coming away with a victory on this 2.5-mile course. It’s worth mentioning that Hendrick Motorsports has won this event nine times in the past and the most successful manufacturer is Chevrolet, which has had one of its cars in victory lane 16 times. Perhaps the driver with the most confidence coming into this one is, however, Matt Kenseth. Kenseth won the New Hampshire 301 last week and will be hoping to repeat his performance on Sunday. With that out of the way, let’s now take a look at some of the best plays one can make on the race this weekend:

Jimmie Johnson (8-to-1) - Jimmie Johnson has been one of the best drivers ever at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he could really use a victory on Sunday. Johnson has struggled mightily recently, failing to record a top-10 finish in each of his past six races. He did, however, finish 12th at the New Hampshire 301 and that was his best placing since coming in third at the Coca Cola 600. Perhaps that was a sign that things are trending in the right direction for Johnson, but he should be a real contender to win this thing no matter what. He is going to be looking to win his fifth ever race here and there’s a very good chance he does it, as he finished first in the practice session for this race on Friday. While his odds aren’t very favorable, putting a few units on Johnson could pay off huge on Sunday.

Jeff Gordon (N/A) - As previously mentioned, Jeff Gordon has more wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway than any driver ever and he’ll certainly be looking to add to his impressive resume on Sunday. While rust is likely to be somewhat of a factor, Gordon just knows what it takes to get it done on this course. He also will surely be out to prove that he is still capable of racing with the big boys. Not only has Gordon won here five times, but he also won as recently as two years ago. We also have no idea what would have happened if he weren’t in an accident here last year. Back Gordon this weekend, as he’s still one of the best drivers to ever do it and is getting some solid odds in this one.

Kyle Larson (18-to-1) - A lot of people are all over Larson this week and it is for good reason. Larson has not won a Sprint Cup race in his career, but he did finish second in a race this season and he already has two third place finishes as well. Not only is Larson having a breakout season, but he also happens to have had a very promising start to his career at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Larson finished in seventh at this race two years ago and he followed it up with an eighth place finish last year. He clearly has some sense of comfort on this track and he could end up paying off huge this weekend.

Ryan Newman (80-to-1) - When looking for a dark horse to win this race, one guy that stands out is Newman. Newman won this race back in 2013 and is receiving some ridiculous odds for a guy that has won on this track. He also happens to be in some pretty solid form recently, as he finished in seventh at the New Hampshire 301 and that came after a third pace finish at the Quaker State 400. Newman also happens to be a very consistent driver, as he has finished inside the top-10 on seven different occasions this season. Look for him to put up a major fight this weekend and don’t be afraid to put a unit or half-unit on him.


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