You might think that the doubleheader this weekend at Pocono Raceway is just another part of the chaos that is the revised 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, as the sport tries to get in as many races as possible and finish the season despite missing all of that time to the COVID-19 shutdown. However, the pair of races at the Tricky Triangle, a 2 ½-mile course with three very different turns and some long straightaways, was already on the schedule. This was always intended to be the first back-to-back set of Cup Series races in the history of the sport. The fact that the Pocono Organics 325 is set for Saturday, and that the drivers are expected to use the same car the next day so long as their car is mechanically viable. This means that the NASCAR odds for Sunday’s race are still pending, so we’ll take a look at some of the sports betting choices that you have.
NASCAR: 2020 Pocono 350 Preview (June 28)
An additional factor for Sunday’s race is that, for lead lap cars on Saturday, the finish order will be inverted on Sunday. This means the top drivers will start Sunday in the back. The long course means that pit crews have to make their decisions differently, and one mistake can send the whole race into a tailspin for a driver. There could also be the temptation to tank a bit on Saturday for those drivers who don’t have a chance to win it and want to get off to a head start in Sunday’s race.
It’s also interesting that Kevin Harvick is the favorite on Saturday despite the fact that in 38 races at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, he has never won. He has cracked the top five 12 times and finished second four times, but he is still looking for his first checkered flag here. The odds recognize his skill with the 550 hp race package that will be in use. In eight races this year, he has a pair of wins.
However, Kyle Busch has owned Pocono Raceway recently, with three victories in his last five races at the Tricky Triangle. He has gone 13 races in 2020 without a single victory — and he’s the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, so he definitely has the motivation and the track record.
Denny Hamlin won two races ago, prevailing in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At Talladega on Monday, he couldn’t deliver the victory but did come in fourth, giving him five finishes in the top five in his last eight races. At Pocono Raceway, he has five victories and 11 top-five results in 28 career starts.
Martin Truex Jr had pole position at Talladega on Monday but settled for 23rd place. However, the Pocono Raceway has been a good place for him. In his last four starts here, he has a victory and two top-five finishes, with an average result of 13.5. In the Gander RV 400 last year, he came in third.
Erik Jones impressed betting experts with a fifth-place finish at Talladega on Monday. That ended a three-race streak in which he had not cracked the top 20. At Pocono Raceway, he has an average finish of 8.33 in six career starts, with four top-five finishes and five top-tens.
Chris Buescher came in third at the Daytona 500, way back at the start of the season, but he had not come close to matching that result until Monday, when he came in sixth at the GEICO 500 at Talladega. He does have a win at the Pocono Raceway, taking the checkered flag at the 2016 Pennsylvania 400.
And what about Bubba Wallace? The discovery of a noose in his garage at Talladega rocked NASCAR — and American culture. However, he did not show any nerves, coming in 14th in the GEICO 500. He is a long shot, for sure, as he has a career finish average of 28.0 at Pocono Raceway. However, he has three straight top-15 finishes.
