Hollywood 400 Picks, Odds, Predictions 10/18/2020

by Guy Bruhn - 10/15/2020

Race: Hollywood Casino 400

Date: Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 2:30 PM EST

Location: Kansas Speedway

TV: NBC

The Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs starts this Sunday at Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400. First opened in 1999, this 1.5 mile track is about to invite racers for it's 30th premier series event in NASCAR.

It's coming down to crunch time in the race for the Cup. Denny Hamlin has been reseeded to second place in points right behind Kevin Harvick. However, he'll be looking to move on to the next round with a win at Kansas Speedway.

Bank Of America Roval 400 Results

Last Sunday Denny Hamlin started on the pole looking to clinch his spot in the next round. However, the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota wasn't able to keep his top position in this one and never saw the front of the pack again. This race had an extra element as morning rains had the field using their rain tires. The decision then became when to switch back to regular racing slicks when the track had time to dry. Hamlin was spun out multiple times with changing conditions and rough contact throughout this one. That said, Hamlin was able to work his way back up to 3rd place with 19 laps to go because of strategic pit stops. It wouldn't last as his pit crew had to work around damage on a late pit stop. Hamlin came came out of pit row outside the top 25, but was able to work his way back to a 15th place finish.

At the end of this one, four drivers found themselves on the outside looking in for the Cup Series Playoffs including the defending champion Kyle Busch. This is the first time a reigning champion was bounced from the playoffs before the round of 8. These last four races will be for pride as Busch will have to wait until next year. Austin Dillon, Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer were the other three drivers that were eliminated.

The top five for this race included the winner Chase Elliott, then Joey Logano, Erik Jones, Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney.

2020 Cup Series Standings Update

Coming into this weekend, we're down to eight drivers who still have a chance to win a championship. With the field getting a reset we've got Kevin Harvick sitting at the top of the field with a total of 4,067 points. Behind him by 27 points is Denny Hamlin followed by Brad Keselowski (8 points above the cutoff) and 40 points behind Harvick is Chase Elliott. As we speak, these four drivers are above the cut line. The rest of the playoff field includes Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch.

As the playoffs continue, the margin for error becomes less and less. This means locking in that spot for the final four becomes more difficult for those below the cut line. However, we might be seeing one of those drivers locking their spot for the final four with a win in Kansas.

Hollywood Casino 400 Odds

Denny Hamlin - +400
Kevin Harvick - +450
Chase Elliott - +550
Martin Truex Jr. - +600
Brad Keselowski - +800
Ryan Blaney - +1,400
Kyle Busch - +1,400
Joey Logano - +1,400
Alex Bowman - +2,200
Kurt Busch - +2,200
Erik Jones - +2,200
Aric Almirola - +2,800
Clint Bowyer - +3,500
William Byron - +3,500
Jimmie Johnson - +4,000
Tyler Reddick - +4,000
Cole Custer - +6,600
Matt DiBenedetto - +6,600
Austin Dillon - +6,600

When trying to decipher who will win this race, you should take into consideration that Toyota has won four of the last seven races that have been held in Kansas and that includes the last two. All of these wins were by either Martin Truex Jr. or Denny Hamlin and both are still in the running. While both Truex Jr. and Hamlin have performed well on this track, Chase Elliott has three top-4 finishes in his last five starts at Kansas. We feel Elliott is a great pick for this race.

Guy's Pick: Take Chase Elliott (+550)

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Hollywood 400 Picks, Odds, Predictions 10/18/2020

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