Chris Wassel
The 2022 NASCAR season races under the lights on Easter night with the Geico 500 coming from Talladega, Alabama.. Fans are stoked for the tenth race of the season and we have a few nice NASCAR Talladega Prime Picks. Expect good conditions from Talladega Superspeedway with temperatures rising to near 80 degrees and mostly sunny weather.
So, the best online betting sportsbooks have just released the latest odds on who could win the Geico 500. Below, we present some of the contending picks and maybe one or two that could surprise on the 2.66-mile long track on Sunday. The action starts at 3:00 pm ET.
| NASCAR 2022 Talladega Odds |  |
| Ryan Blaney | +1025 |
| Joey Logano | +1150 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1275 |
| Chase Elliott | +1425 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1450 |
| Bubba Wallace | +1450 |
| Austin Cindric | +1450 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1475 |
| Kyle Busch | +1650 |
| Kyle Larson | +1675 |
| Kevin Harvick | +1800 |
| William Byron | +1950 |
NASCAR Talladega Picks – Is Bubba Wallace A Contender?
So, this week’s NASCAR Talladega Prime Picks from Talladega is on the 2.66 mile short track. Hey, the banking feels like its own centrifuge ranging from 33 degrees in turns 1 and 2 down to 32.4 degrees in turn 3 and 32.5 in turn 4. Even the tri-oval has a 16.5 bank with three on the back straightaway. There is little flat about this track.
The Talladega event has a Friday practice and Saturday morning qualifying as the race is on Sunday afternoon. Drivers have to get used to some good ole restrictor plate driving which does not always sit well.
"I felt like once we got in the Cup car things started to kind of click."@BubbaWallace, who returns to Talladega as its most recent winner, discusses plans for the winning car, looking forward to superspeedway racing, and confidence in the drafthttps://t.co/gnb7IyhwIz #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) April 20, 2022
The Bubba Wallace No. 23 car was quite good on the super speedway last year. It was only when rain began to rear its ugly head that people started talking about the chance Wallace could win as the race was approaching becoming official. Little did anyone believe that the race would be called but it was. Bubba Wallace won his first NASCAR race after just 118 of 188 laps.
Wallace is a contending pick despite his hit or miss nature. This may feel odd but the driver was listed as short as a co-favorite in some places (+1100). That may be a bit much but the 23XI Racing driver has some value. Still, the +1450 number is a bit of a surprise. While Wallace could be a nice pick to finish in the top 10 maybe at NASCAR Talladega, winning seems out of reach. However, the chaos and attrition can make anything seem possible on this track.
NASCAR Talladega – Team Penske In It To Win It?
So, here is where this race goes considerably sideways. Why? That is simple. Always bet with caution on super speedways and when placing top futures bets. It could be good to think about Joey Logano or Ryan Blaney with this train of thought.
After all, the funny thing is there is six tracks worth of historical data from the past three years for this 188-lap race. It does not go that fast. Alas, the problem is the inevitable carnage. Joey Logano has a few spectacular crashes and two top tens. Ryan Blaney has won twice but has three top ten results. Both Ford cars are among the race leaders when it comes to laps led (11.4 and 14% respectively).
Heading into NASCAR Talladega, Logano is third in points and Blaney is second. Also, both drivers from Team Penske are seeking their first win. Guess who does have a win from their team on a super speedway? That would be none other than Austin Cindric. Cindric won the Daytona 500 at the beginning of the year. People forget all the carnage there and that Logano, Blaney, Wallace, and yes Cindric were all in contention.
The @NBCSports #NASCAR viewer's guide is here for @TALLADEGA with some key storylines:
— @Team_Penske's quiet Dega dominance
— @BubbaWallace's potential for more history
— What @TylerReddick told @SiriusXMNASCAR about Chevy's gap to Ford:https://t.co/UasUbbeGD3— Zach Sturniolo (@zachstur) April 20, 2022
Again for Logano, Blaney, and Cindric, the gap seems to be closing a bit but their Ford has the makeup to be a car that racks up some led laps once again. Can either of the three win the race? That’s the question. Ryan Blaney has been the closest and he was right up there at Daytona too. No one is below +1000. Even Blaney at +1025 carries some value even though the chance of a DNF is higher than usual. A crash can come anytime.
2022 NASCAR Talladega Outlook
After what happened in Bristol with all the delays, NASCAR Talladega will likely be rain-free . The 188 lap race goes only a bit over 500 miles. The Talladega track expects to be very warm. The only question will inevitably be how many accidents and cautions will there be on Sunday and who survives for the final stage which is 68 laps. The first two stages are only 60 laps.
Some notables like William Byron (+1950) and Chase Elliott (+1425) should see their fortunes boosted this week. Both Hendrick drivers expect to finish in the top-ten as Next-Gen track testing showed a bit of a closing of the gap when it came to Chevy and Ford. This applied, in particular, to the Hendrick and Penske gaps. Penske was a little faster but on longer runs, that gap started to even out some. In a few cases, Byron and Elliott were a tick more speedy.
This race will be a fascinating battle to see if Hendrick can come on back after a bit of a rough run at Bristol. The stops and starts were tough on everyone. This week could be different for guys like Byron and Elliott but in a good way.
Last fall at Talladega, William Byron was overheating early and crashed late.
In the three Talladega races prior to that he had a series best 5.7 average finish. pic.twitter.com/qPL025PY3o
— Ryan (@ifantasyrace) April 19, 2022
Looking toward even last week’s results is not a smart thing this time around. Byron was fast last year before a faulty spring valve eventually overheated his car and ended his day. Byron is an intriguing pick for NASCAR Talladega this week.
Are there any longer shot choices for NASCAR Talladega?
Yes, let’s take a couple long shot darts for the NASCAR Talladega race. Now, simply two of our best choices are Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Reddick is our preferred coming off the second last week at Bristol along with his consistent speed even on superspeedways.
Where To Wager On NASCAR Betting Futures?
So, let’s do this in style.
Thankfully, these NASCAR prime online betting sites can be useful for Talladega. Make a wager today!
