FireKeepers Casino 400 Picks, Odds, & Predictions 8/8/2020

by Tony Sink - 8/6/2020

Race: FireKeepers Casino 400

Date: Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 4:00 PM EST

Location: Michigan International Speedway

TV: NBCSN

Michigan International Speedway is the venue for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday. The 2 mile track is set on 1,400 acres in Brooklyn, Michigan. It features a wide racing surface and high banking. It's the fastest track in NASCAR, so get ready for a lot of action. The track doesn't feature a restrictor plate requirement, so top speeds can get as high as 220 mph in qualifying. Chase Elliott has always had a good car at Michigan, currently holding the best average finish in NASCAR history (7.6). Kevin Harvick also has success at Michigan, winning 2 of the last 3 years. The average speed is usually over 140 mph at Michigan, including last year when Harvick averaged 149 mph.

Foxwood Resort Casino 301 Results

Brad Keselowski dominated at New Hampshire, leading for 184 laps including the final 81. It's his 3rd win this season. Denny Hamlin finished 2nd, leading 92 laps and collecting 54 NASCAR Series points, while Martin Truex Jr. came in 3rd. Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick rounded out the Top 5 on Sunday afternoon. There wasn't much drama on this day as Keselowski was in control for the most part after he took the lead from Hamlin. He was able to add 56 points to his standings total, but he still trails Kevin Harvick in that department. The biggest surprise at New Hampshire was Matt DiBenedetto finishing 6th after starting 19th. He had a really good day and held off some of the best drivers on the circuit late, including Aric Almirola, Chase Elliot, and Cole Custer. 6 of the top 8 cars were Ford's, while Toyota's finished 2nd and 3rd in the race.

2020 Cup Series Standings Update

With another Top 5 finish at New Hampshire, Kevin Harvick maintained his overall lead in the NASCAR standings. He is still 81 points ahead of Keselowski for the year, and Sunday was his 13th finish in the Top 5 this season. It was also his 17th Top 10 finish in only 20 races. Keselowski, on the other hand, only has 8 finishes in the Top 5 and 3 wins. He has been extremely consistent though, posting 15 finishes in the Top 10. Denny Hamlin is 3rd in the standings with 688 points (115 behind Harvick) and he leads the circuit in wins with 5. He also finished in the Top 5 on 11 occasions. Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott round out the top 5 in the standings. Both drivers have 7 finishes in the Top 5 for the year, and they are only separated by 25 points in the standings. Harvick has an impressive average finish of 6.4 this year, which is the most on the circuit. Both Keselowski and Hamlin also have average finishes in the Top 10 (8.6 and 9.9 respectively). Harvick also has led the most laps this year with 706, but Keselowski isn't far behind with 628 laps led. Drivers who have qualified for the postseason besides the Top 5 include Joey Logano, Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, and Cole Custer. Those drivers have all won a race this season, which automatically qualifies you for the Playoffs.

FireKeepers Casino 400 Odds

Kevin Harvick 3-1
Denny Hamlin 11-2
Ryan Blaney 13-2
Martin Truex Jr. 17-2
Brad Keselowski 9-1
Joey Logano 10-1
Kyle Busch 10-1
Chase Elliott 10-1
Aric Almirola 16-1
Kurt Busch 30-1
Erik Jones 40-1
Alex Bowman 40-1
Jimmie Johnson 40-1

Who will win this event at Michigan? Martin Truex is one to watch with 17-2 odds. He's been racing really well all season, and even though Harvick may be the favorite, Truex could be the better bet. Brad Keselowski at 9-1 could also be someone to consider, as he's been hot lately and is as consistent as Harvick.

Tony's Pick: Take Martin Truex Jr. (17-2)

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Pick:	CHICAGO BEARS +3
Start:	November 24, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	Doc's Sports

Analysis:

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. Take #256 Chicago Bears +3 over Minnesota Vikings (1p.m., Sunday, November 24 FOX) We used the Bears as a free play winner last Sunday and easily covered the spread and should have been an underdog outright winner. Now we will ride them for a second straight week against another NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are 8-2 on the season, yet are only around a field goal favorite. I still do not trust Sam Donald to win consistently over the course of a 17 game regular season. Minnesota is not as good as their 8-2 record would indicate and playing outdoors in Chicago on Sunday will cause issues for them on both sides of the ball. Chicago has been hit or miss this season, but they will be up to play another divisional rival and we expect them to take this down to the wire as well. Do not miss out on Doc’s Sports Weekend Card featuring top plays in college and NFL football. Read More Read Less

FireKeepers Casino 400 Picks, Odds, & Predictions 8/8/2020

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