COLUMN: Bettin’ at Talladega Superspeedway Is A Crapshoot Based On The Big One

By Jerry Jordan, Editor

There is no doubt about the excitement and action fans experienced last night at The Big One on the Boulevard at Talladega Superspeedway but NASCAR Cup Series drivers in today’s Geico 500 need to worry about the Big One on the track because it’s known to be a competition eliminator.

That makes picking drivers that have a chance to win the race a difficult thing to do because as we have seen in the past, restrictor plate racing levels the playing field for everyone. There have also been a few odds changes from the early WynnBET Sportsbook lines to the race day lines. And in most cases, the payouts went up for bettors, so choose wisely. My overall favorite pick today based on experience at Talladega, odds and starting position is Brad Keselowski at 14 to 1 or +1400 odds.

Bad Brad has six wins at Talladega and despite the struggles Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has seen in 2022, earlier this week he told media members that the one thing RFK Racing had under control when he joined the organization was its superspeedway program. Look for Keselowski to be up at the front and battling for the win … if he can stay out of trouble.

My weekly mid-tier odds pick is Alex Bowman at 18 to 1 or +1800 odds. I don’t know why I am picking Bowman to be honest with you but sometimes you have to go with your gut. Sure, there are plenty of other drivers out there with better finishes and even wins under their belt at Talladega. Bowman isn’t even starting in a good position but odds-wise he dropped from 21 to 1 or +2100 to 18 to 1 or +1800 from Wednesday to Sunday. Someone at WynnBET Sportsbook liked something they saw as he was one of the few drivers to have their potential payout lowered. As I said, it’s a gut feeling and sometimes those pay off.

Looking at the weekly longshot, there are several potential candidates who could find their way to Victory Lane. My standout would have to be Noah Gragson. He won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race and he is in solid equipment at Beard Motorsports. At 150 to 1 or +15000, why wouldn’t everyone throw $5 at the betting window and take a chance for a huge return at the payout window?

Remember, my suggestions are based on what I see at the track and from past performances by drivers. It’s called gambling for a reason and there is no guarantee the drivers I pick will end up in victory lane. If you can’t afford to bet, then don’t. And if you aren’t 21 years of age, you cannot legally gamble, so don’t even think about it. Should you have a problem with sports betting or other forms of gaming, you can get help at 1-800-GAMBLER.

WynnBET Sportsbook Early Odds Race Day Odds
Talladega Superspeedway    
Ryan Blaney 10 to 1 or +1000 11 to 1 or +1100
Joey Logano 12 to 1 or +1200 11 to 1 or +1100
Austin Cindric 14 to 1 or +1400 15 to 1 or +1500
Brad Keselowski 14 to 1 or +1400 14 to 1 or +1400
Chase Elliott 14 to 1 or +1400 14 to 1 or +1400
Darrell Wallace Jr 14 to 1 or +1400 13 to 1 or +1300
Denny Hamlin 14 to 1 or +1400 12 to 1 or +1200
Chase Briscoe 15 to 1 or +1500 15 to 1 or +1500
Kyle Busch 16 to 1 or +1600 16 to 1 or +1600
Kyle Larson 17 to 1 or +1700 16 to 1 or +1600
Kevin Harvick 18 to 1 or +1800 18 to 1 or +1800
William Byron 19 to 1 or +1800 18 to 1 or +1800
Aric Almirola 20 to 1 or +2000 22 to 1 or +2200
Alex Bowman 21 to 1 or +2100 18 to 1 or +1800
Tyler Reddick 22 to 1 or +2200 21 to 1 or +2100
Chris Buescher 25 to 1 or +2500 25 to 1 or +2500
Christopher Bell 25 to 1 or +2500 17 to 1 or +1700
Kurt Busch 25 to 1 or +2500 22 to 1 or +2200
Ross Chastain 28 to 1 or +2800 25 to 1 or +2500
Austin Dillon 30 to 1 or +3000 28 to 1 or +2800
Martin Truex Jr 30 to 1 or +3000 25 to 1 or +2500
Michael McDowell 30 to 1 or +3000 35 to 1 or +3500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr 30 to 1 or +3000 28 to 1 or +2800
Cole Custer 50 to 1 or +5000 40 to 1 or +4000
Harrison Burton 55 to 1 or +5500 50 to 1 or +5000
Daniel Suarez 60 to 1 or +6000 33 to 1 or +3300
Justin Haley 60 to 1 or +6000 60 to 1 or +6000
Erik Jones 60 to 1 or +6000 66 to 1 or +6600
TY Dillon 90 to 1 or +9000 80 to 1 or +8000
Corey Lajoie 100 to 1 or +10000 150 to 1 or +15000
Daniel Hemric 100 to 1 or +10000 40 to 1 or +4000
David Ragan 100 to 1 or +10000 125 to 1 or +12500
Todd Gilliland 100 to 1 or +10000 90 to 1 or +9000
Noah Gragson 125 to 1 or +12500 150 to 1 or +15000
Greg Biffle 500 to 1 or +50000 400 to 1 or +40000
Landon Cassill 500 to 1 or +50000 350 to 1 or +35000
J J Yeley 600 to 1 or +60000 600 to 1 or +60000
B J Mcleod 1000 to 1 or +100000 600 to 1 or +60000
Cody Ware 1000 to 1 or +100000 600 to 1 or +60000

Photo: Christian Koelle, Kickin’ the Tires

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