2014 FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Vegas Favorites at Dover: The first half of the regular season will come to a close this weekend when to Cup Series visits Dover International Speedway. The track is known by many as “The Monster Mile” for its ability to destroy cars, and the 1.0-mile, concrete oval requires focus and precision in order for a driver to stay out of trouble and maintain the momentum it takes to run fast laps at the track. Overall, Dover is like no other track on the schedule, and not surprisingly, some drivers never seem to get a feel for it while others seem to excel. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the drivers that should be in the mix for the victory Sunday.
The Favorites
Fresh of his first win of the season last weekend at Charlotte, Jimmie Johnson heads to a track where he has won eight times in 24 starts. His eight victories at Dover are more than any other driver in the series, and he also owns the top driver rating at the track to go along with a series-best 8.7 average finish. Johnson has actually won five of the last 10 races at the track, and he has led more than 1,000 laps in the last six races alone.
He is a two-time winner at Dover in his career, and Matt Kenseth has been finishing near the front at the track on a routine basis lately. In his last 12 starts at Dover, he has eight top-five finishes, including five top-three finishes. During the stretch, his eight top-five finishes are tied for the most in the series.
Since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch has been as good as any driver in the series at Dover. He has finished seventh or better in seven of his last eight starts at the track, including three straight. Busch has four top-five finishes during the stretch, including a win. For his career, he is a two-time winner at the track, and he has nine top-five finishes in 18 starts.
The Dark Horses
Although it has been more than a decade since he last won a race at Dover, Jeff Gordon has been on the doorstep of a return trip to victory lane the past couple of seasons. He has an 8.8 average finish in his last nine starts at the track, and more importantly, he has finishes of second, third and fourth in the last three races at Dover. By the way, he also enters Sunday’s race as the point-leader so nobody has been better in 2014 than Gordon.
While he is still looking for a victory at Dover, Clint Bowyer has been one of the most consistent drivers at the track lately. In fact, his streak of six-consecutive top-10 finishes at the track is the longest in the series. Perhaps more importantly, he has been at his best in the June race at Dover, notching three-straight top-six finishes. A breakthrough performance at the track could be on tap Sunday.
He is enjoying the best season of his career, and Joey Logano should continue to his hot stretch this weekend at Dover. After all, he has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts at the track, logging a career-best third-place finish last fall. Logano already has two wins under his belt in 2014, and a third trip to victory is a real possibility Sunday.
Sleeper Special
While he has been struggling all season, Dover always seems to bring out the best in Martin Truex Jr. Not only is he a former winner at the track, but he has four top-15s in his last six starts at the track, including three in his last four starts. More importantly, Truex has three finishes of eighth or better during the stretch. He could break out of his slump in a big way this weekend.
Big Name to Avoid
He isn’t having a great year to begin with, and this weekend, Denny Hamlin will have to try to tackle one of his worst tracks. He has a disappointing 20.5 average finish at Dover in 16 starts, and he has only managed two top-five finishes. Worse yet, Hamlin has 10 finishes outside the top 15 at Dover, including five outside the top 30.
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on the 2014 FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks Odds! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN BOVADA Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get a 50% BONUS instantly FREE. |
Check the latest NASCAR Vegas Odds and Betting Lines from BOVADA below: