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With six races remaining before the start of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, only five of the 16 spots remain to be claimed.
The pressure intensifies with each race, and Sunday's HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway is one of four tracks the series will visit for the first time over the next six weeks. The 2.5-mile, three-turn track is known as the "Tricky Triangle."
Martin Truex Jr. enters Pocono with a 17-point lead over William Byron in the regular-season standings following his third victory of the year last week. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch fell three spots to fifth following a last-place finish after his single-car accident.
HIGHPOINT.COM 400
The Place: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
The Date: July 23, 2:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 160 laps on 2.5-mile track
Defending Champion: Chase Elliott
Cup Series Leader: Martin Truex Jr.
TV: USA
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
BEST BETS
Denny Hamlin (+500)
It's little surprise that Hamlin is the pre-race favorite. Yes, he's fourth in the standings and has a win so far this season. More important for this week, he's tied with Jeff Gordon for the most all-time wins at Pocono. And Hamlin would have owned the record all to himself if he hadn't been disqualified after winning last year's race for technical violations. Hamlin leads the grid with 13.4 percent of the total bets and 27.0 percent of the money backing him since opening at +600.
Martin Truex Jr. (+600)
The series leader is also a two-time previous winner at Pocono. He rebounded from two poor outings to win last week -- giving Truex five top-5s in his past seven races.
Kyle Busch (+700)
Busch was also disqualified after finishing second last year. He does have four career wins at Pocono and will be looking to rebound from last week's disappointment. Busch is the book's second biggest liability this week, having drawn 12.1 percent of the total bets and 15.4 percent of the money.
Chase Elliott (+1100)
Elliott was the beneficiary of Hamlin and Busch being disqualified last year. This year, the 2020 series champ enters in desperate need of a victory as Elliott sits 23rd in the standings after missing a combined six races. He's 60 points behind Michael McDowell for the final playoff spot. Elliott does own four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 13 Pocono starts.
Ryan Blaney (+1100)
Blaney has a lone win this year but does have 10 top-10s. Another previous winner at Pocono, Blaney is the book's third biggest liability this week as he has been backed by 9.4 percent of the total money wagered since opening at +1200.
LONGSHOT PICK
Alex Bowman (+4000)
Bowman is among the 10 drivers in the field who have previously visited Victory Lane at Pocono. He could really stand to do it again this week as Bowman is in 20th place, 42 points behind McDowell, due in part to missing three races to a concussion.
More must-reads:
- William Byron wins pole at Pocono
- It's time to hit the panic button on Chase Elliott
- The 'NBA Coach of the Year' quiz
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