
Denny Hamlin has certainly come to the right place if he hopes to lock down a spot in the Chase for The Sprint Cup on the NASCAR betting circuit this weekend.
With just one race remaining before the postseason cutoff is made to 12 drivers, Hamlin currently sits in a Wild Card spot to advance and he returns to Richmond International Raceway for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 this Saturday night (7:30 pm Eastern, ABC) as the two-time defending champion at this event.
Kyle Busch, who leads all drivers this season with four victories in the Sprint Cup Series, is the NASCAR betting favorite to win this weekend’s race at 7/2 odds, with Hamlin listed second at 5/1 odds. Jimmie Johnson, the No. 1-ranked driver in the standings with 17 Top-10 finishes in 25 races and 873 points, is listed third at 8/1 odds, along with the winner of last week’s AdvoCare 500 race in Atlanta, Jeff Gordon.
Carl Edwards (at 11/1 odds to win the Wonderful Pistachios 400), Matt Kenseth (20/1), Kevin Harvick (14/1), Kurt Busch (18/1), and Ryan Newman (30/1) have each secured their spots already in the Chase, along with Johnson, Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski (14/1).
Besides Hamlin, the drivers who still have a shot to advance to the Chase with the right mix of results this Saturday night include Dale Earnhardt Jr. (30/1), Tony Stewart (11/1), A.J. Allmendinger (40/1), Clint Bowyer (22/1), Greg Biffle (30/1), Paul Menard (50/1), and Martin Truex Jr. (40/1).
Johnson (twice) as well as Harvick and Kurt Busch join Hamlin as former September winners in recent Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway. Harvick’s win came back in 2006, and a visit to Victory Lane on Saturday night would tie him with Kyle Busch at four checkered flags this season. Gordon and Keselowski also have three wins apiece.
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