Ryan Blaney favored for first Cup Series win of the season at Talladega

This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series comes from Alabama in the GEICO 500. The Talladega Superspeedway circuit is the biggest oval track the series will race on, and fans can expect door-to-door action on the 2.66-mile-long circuit. In our latest NASCAR betting picks, we tell you who will win and the best bets to place on the action.

  • What: GEICO 500
  • Where: Talladega Superspeedway, Alabama, Texas
  • When: Sunday, April 21st, 2024
  • Time: 3 pm ET
  • Laps: 188
  • Distance: 500 Miles

This is one of the most exciting races on the NASCAR Cup Series roster. The GEICO 500 will be the 110th race hosted by Talladega Superspeedway in Cup Series history. The track was opened in 1969 and has hosted Cup Series races since 1970. It has been a fan favorite ever since.

The betting market to win on Sunday is wide open, highlighting the crazy nature of the race on one of NASCAR’s most iconic races.

With 14 wins, Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Talladega. But Ford is expected to be the manufacturer that suits this circuit the best this year.

So far in 2024, no one driving a Ford has managed to stand on the top of a podium. Can this be the week that the winless run ends for the manufacturer?

Who are the in-form NASCAR drivers?

William Byron won the Spring Race at Martinsville two weeks ago, and he followed that up with a third-place finish at Texas in the Autotrader EchoPark 400 last Sunday.

Last Sunday’s winner at Texas was Chase Elliott. The Hendricks Motorsport driver took the checkered flag ahead of Brad Keselowski, who finished second for his RFK Racing team.

The result means that Kyle Larson remains top of the Cup Series standings with 335 points, ahead of Martin Truex Jr. (318) and Denny Hamlin (307).

Chase Elliott’s win has seen him leap to fourth place in the standings with 303 points. Elliott has moved up two places.

Betting to win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship

In the latest NASCAR futures betting, William Byron and Kyle Larson are the +500 joint favorites to be the NASCAR Cup Series Championship winner for 2024.

William Byron has drifted from +450 following his third-place finish last Sunday in Texas. Kyle Larson has been backed in from +550.

Behind the two Hendricks drivers are Denny Hamlin at +550 and Christopher Bell at +600. Chase Elliott is now up to +900 after his recent win. He joins Martin Truex Jr. who continues to drift.

The defending champion, Ryan Blaney, is also heading in the wrong direction. He is now at +1200, having been +1000 just a couple of weeks ago.

Betting to win the 2024 GEICO 500

Denny Hamlin was the +400 favorite to win at Martinsville, and Kyle Larson was the +400 favorite in Texas. This week, the market is wide open.

The betting favorite is Ryan Blaney at +1000. But behind the Cup Series champion, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and William Byron are all at +1100.

Furthermore, Bubba Wallace is at +1400, Kyle Busch at +1500, and Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, and Ty Gibbs are all at +1600.

Texas favorite Kyle Larson is all the way out at +2000 to win this week.

More GEICO 500 betting is on our NASCAR odds table. All our odds are from the best sites for motorsports betting. Before we name our betting picks to win in Texas, check out the best NASCAR betting sites and our guide on how to bet on NASCAR.

DriverBetOnline ReviewBovadaBetUS Review
Ryan Blaney+1000+1000+1000
Denny Hamlin+1100+1100+1100
Joey Logano+1100+1100+1100
Brad Keselowski+1100+1100+1100
William Byron+1100+1100+1100
Bubba Wallace+1400+1400+1400
Kyle Busch+1500+1500+1500
Christopher Bell+1600+1600+1600
Ross Chastain+1600+1600+1600
Ty Gibbs+1600+1600+1600
Chris Buescher+1800+1800+1800
Kyle Larson+2000+2000+2000
Tyler Reddick+2000+2000+2000
Alex Bowman+2000+2000+2000
Martin Truex Jr+2500+2500+2500
Erik Jones+2500+2500+2500
Austin Condric+2800+2800+2800
Daniel Suarez+3300+3300+3300

2024 GEICO 500 Betting Picks and Predictions

With such an open betting market, we are going to hedge our bets this weekend.

Ford cars are expected to go well this week, so the obvious first pick we need to consider is Brad Keselowski. The RFK Racing driver finished second in Texas last Sunday, so we know he is in good form.

Keselowski also won this race in 2021, so we know he has the pedigree to win here again. On the flip side, it was his last points-paying race win, but he has to be selected, as you know you will be kicking yourself if he wins and you’re not on.

Brad Keselowski is our first pick to win the GEICO 500.

Brad KeselowskiTo win GEICO 500
★★★★★
+1100
Bet now

For our second pick, we are steering away from Ford drivers, and instead going with in-form drivers. We feel that Hendricks Motorsports is in a good place, and we could arguably go for any of William Byron, Kyle Larson, or Chase Elliott.

In this instance, we are sticking with the most in-form driver and backing Chase Elliott to go back-to-back.

Chase Elliott is our second pick to win the GEICO 500.

Chase ElliottTo win GEICO 500
★★★★★
+1100
Bet now

Finally, we are going back to Ford drivers. We know Ryan Blaney is the current drivers’ champion, and we also know he is yet to pick up a win this season.

With slight trepidation, we are also backing Ryan Blaney to win the GEICO 500. Purely on the basis that he is due a win.

Ryan BlaneyTo win GEICO 500
★★★★★
+1000
Bet now

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Dean Etheridge

Hailing from Coventry, England, Dean brings his British wit to every piece he pens. A true lover of a good wager, Dean's passion for both sports and writing has merged into the world of sports betting. Dean is the mastermind behind his very own soccer and cricket betting platforms. As the owner and editor of a renowned football betting website, Dean has established himself as a force within the industry. His expertise as a freelance content writer is centered in the realms of football, cricket and Formula 1. From breaking down odds to unraveling strategies, Dean's writing radiates an unmatched love for sports. When he’s not immersed in sports betting, Dean enjoyes exploring new culinary delights, conquering the latest car racing video games, or getting lost in the pages of a novel.