The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series returns to Pocono Speedway this weekend for the Duel Race weekend. The doubled-up schedule at Pocono started last season and it was dominated by two drivers who split the events.
Kevin Harvick won the Saturday race with Denny Hamlin coming in second. On Sunday that finishing order was flipped with Hamlin getting the win and Harvick taking second.
This year both Harvick and Hamlin are capturing the eye of oddsmakers once again. If they are correct, it will be the first win for either driver this season. Hamlin comes in at +700 with Harvick in a group of drivers at +1000. But there is one driver that tops them all – Kyle Larson!
Larson (+175) continued his winning ways last week in Nashville by dominating the event from start to finish. He led almost every lap and did not have any significant challenges. He’s won on a variety of tracks this season and there is not a good reason to think he could not do it again.
Here are the top-five favorite drivers to win the Pocono 325 outright on Saturday according to Intertops. Complete odds for Saturday are listed below. Sunday odds have not been posted yet.
Kyle Larson +175
Denny Hamlin +700
Kyle Busch +800
Chase Elliott +800
2021 Pocono 325 Preview
Track: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Type: 2.5-mile three-turn (the Tricky Triangle)
Banking: Turn 1: 14°, Turn 2: 8°, Turn 3: 6°, Back straight: 3°
Saturday Distance: 130 laps, 325 miles (Cup Series only)
Sunday Distance: 140 laps, 350 miles (Cup Series only)
Defending Track Winner: Denny Hamlin
TV/Radio: NBCS/MRN
Start Time: 3:00 PM Eastern
Six of the last seven Cup Series races at Pocono have been won by Toyota drivers. And, all of them are driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. The only side note to that is that Martin Truex Jr was driving for Furniture Row Racing when he captured his win at the track.
2021 Pocono 325 Picks
Kyle Busch +800
Kyle Busch has three wins at Pocono with his last coming in 2019. The “tricky triangle” is a perfect place for the driver of the No. 18 Toyota to get Joe Gibbs Racing back in victory lane this season. He’s finished inside of the top ten in every Pocono race going back to 2016 except for last year when he was caught up in a wreck. That was the Sunday race, on Saturday the day before he finished 5th.
Chase Elliott +800
Chase Elliott finished second last week in Nashville before being disqualified due to loose lug nuts. He already has proven that he’s a winner this season and has run well at Pocono in the past. In his last ten starts at the track he’s finished inside of the top ten seven times. He finished 4th during his last visit to the track on Sunday during the duel race weekend.
Kevin Harvick +1000
Despite the way Kevin Harvick has run this season – when compared to other seasons where he has already racked up a handful of wins – it’s hard to push him to the side at Pocono. According to NASCAR fantasy stats, he’s still the No. 1 driver at the three-turned superspeedway. In his last ten races, he’s finished 9th or better ten times!
Others: Of course you have to consider Kyle Larson. My only thinking is it’s hard to win several races in a row at the Cup Series level and at +175 there are better value drivers down the odds list. One of those drivers is Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. at +30000. Wallace is in a Joe Gibbs-affiliated car owned by Denny Hamlin at a track where a Toyota has won six of the last seven races.
Most Important NASCAR Handicapping Stats
Pocono Organics 325 Odds
Kyle Larson +175
Denny Hamlin +700
Kyle Busch +800
Chase Elliott +800
William Byron +1000
Kevin Harvick +1000
Martin Truex Jr +1000
Brad Keselowski +1400
Ryan Blaney +1400
Joey Logano +1600
Alex Bowman +2000
Christopher Bell +4000
Aric Almirola +5000
Kurt Busch +5000
Tyler Reddick +5000
Ross Chastain +5000
Austin Dillon +6600
Matt Dibenedetto +8000
Chris Buescher +10000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +10000
Erik Jones +15000
Ryan Newman +15000
Daniel Suarez +20000
Cole Custer +20000
Chase Briscoe +25000
Michael McDowell +30000
Darrell Wallace Jr. +30000
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