- What: Geico 500
- When: Sunday, April 21st
- Where: Talladega Superspeedway
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of the most prestigious tracks around on Sunday for the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. This is the 10th race of the season and the first at Talladega, although there's another one here in the Cup Series playoffs. As you'll see by the odds, there's no clear favorite here, with most drivers sitting +1000 and steeper. Ryan Blaney sits at that number, while Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski are all at +1100. Byron in particular continues to thrive and is already looking for his fourth win of the campaign. Continue reading for the Geico 500 picks.
Before we get into the analysis, odds, and predictions for this race, check out our how-to bet on NASCAR page.
Geico 500 Odds
| Driver |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1100 | +1200 | +1000 |
| Joey Logano | +1100 | +1100 | +1000 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1100 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Chase Elliott | +1100 | +1100 | +1200 |
| William Byron | +1100 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Bubba Wallace | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Christopher Bell | +1600 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Ross Chastain | +1600 | +2000 | +1600 |
Kyle Busch (+1600) is the reigning champion at the Geico 500. Chevrolet has won the last two races. There are 60 laps in stages one and two and 68 in the final one. This race first debuted in 1970.
Ryan Blaney (+1000)
Blaney is down in seventh place in the standings but enjoyed his fair share of success at Talladega. He's finished top-two in five of the last nine appearances here, including wins in 2019, 2020, and 2023. He also managed to finish top-10 in every superspeedway race last season except for one. In nine races thus far in 2024, Blaney has yet to win, but he has four top-five finishes and four top-1os. Blaney struggled last weekend, finishing 33rd in Texas.
Denny Hamlin (+1100)
Hamlin is only 28 points out of first place in the standings and has had a respectable season to this point. He has two wins, two top-fives, and three top-10s. Both of Hamlin's victories came in a span of three weeks at Bristol and Richmond. He's also done well on superspeedways but in recent memory, Hamlin has only finished in the top-10 once in his last eight appearances in the Talladega spring race. That doesn't exactly scream contender for Sunday's event. Nevertheless, he's still one to watch. A specific bet could be the move for Hamlin.
William Byron (+1100)
While Byron isn't in first place in the Cup Series standings, he's one of the most in-form drivers on the circuit. His three victories are a Cup Series-best. Byron won Daytona before a brief cold spell but since his 35th-place finish at COTA, it's been first, seventh, first, and third in Texas. Byron typically performs well at Talladega, finishing second and seventh in the two races in 23'. Just given hot much confidence he has right now, Byron is definitely worth a shot on Sunday in Alabama.
Chase Elliott (+1100)
The 2021 Cup Series champion has been a shell of his former self but he finally got a victory in Texas, edging out Brad Keselowski for top spot for his first win in 42 races. Elliott has won twice in his last nine outings at Talladega and only sits 32 points behind Kyle Larson for first place in the standings. He also has three top-five finishes and four top-10s. Overall, Elliott is coming into his own lately, finishing fifth at Richmond and third at Martinsville. Could we be seeing the best version of Chase Elliott again? It's possible.
Joey Logano (+1100)
Logano won this race in 2018 and has also won twice more here in 2015 and 2016. However, as the years have passed, he's been progressively worse in Alabama. Last season, Logano was 30th and 24th at Talladega. Not exactly something to write home about. He's also having a tough season, only finishing in the top five on three occasions along with a mere two top-10s. Logano isn't one to bet on here.
Brad Keselowski (+1100)
Keselowski is a beast at Talladega and a beast on superspeedways. He's won six times in Alabama in his career and was fifth last spring. Keselowski was second last weekend in Texas and has led for the second-most laps on superspeedways in 24'. Although he's yet to win a race this season, Keselowski definitely has a legitimate chance at doing so on Sunday. The result in Fort Worth will definitely have him holding his head high coming into Talladega.
Geico 500 Picks
Like I said, he hasn't won yet this season. But, something just tells me this could be Keselowski's time. I'm taking the veteran to come in first at Talladega.
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