The 2021 NASCAR season expands beyond the state of Florida this week. The fourth race of the year is the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube and is set to take place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This marks the second 1.5-mile track that NASCAR has run on this season. With three surprise winners in each of the first three weeks, the NASCAR betting odds offer sizable payouts even on the “favorites” this week.
This article offers a full comprehensive NASCAR betting guide for the Pennzoil 400 race, including the NASCAR odds, driver statistics, Las Vegas Motor Speedway trends, and best NASCAR picks.
Pennzoil 400 Race Info
23rd Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lude
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Date: Sunday, Mar. 7, 2021
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Coverage: FOX
Length: 400 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-80; Laps 81-160; Laps 161-267)
Pole Sitter: Kevin Harvick
Defending Champion: Joey Logano
Check out the complete Pennzoil 400 starting lineup and race stats!
Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Betting Odds
Odds Courtesy of MyBookie Sportsbook
Kevin Harvick (+450) is the official NASCAR betting favorite with the shortest odds of any driver on the board. Harvick last won the Pennzoil 400 in 2018, one of two wins in his career at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The driver with the next shortest odds is Martin Truex Jr. (+650). He won the fall race at Las Vegas in 2019 and has the third-best average finish at the track among active drivers.
The next two drivers listed in the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR betting odds don’t have very impressive track records when it comes to LVMS. Neither Chase Elliott (+800) nor Denny Hamlin (+850) has ever reached victory lane in Sin City. Hamlin’s average finish at Las Vegas is 13.6 while Elliott’s is just 21.3. Name recognition alone likely has these two priced where they are in this week’s NASCAR odds.
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Team Penske duo of Joey Logano (+900) and Brad Keselowski (+900) round out the drivers with NASCAR betting odds shorter than 10-1 to win the Pennzoil 400. Logano has won this very race in each of the last two seasons while Keselowski’s career average finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is an astonishing 4.6. Kyle Larson (+1000), Kyle Busch (+1200) and the third Penske driver Ryan Blaney (+1200) round out this second tier of drivers in this week’s odds.
Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Betting Longshots to Note
Can another NASCAR betting longshot find victory lane in the Pennzoil 400? After finishing second in both races at LVMS last season, Matt DiBenedetto (+5000) has to be considered a contender to win. Both Roush Fenway Racing cars exceeded expectations last week. Chris Buescher (+8000) and Ryan Newman (+8000) are two names to keep an eye on once again at Las Vegas. Finally, no car was running faster at the end of last week’s race at Homestead-Miami than the Richard Childres Racing #8, driven by young Tyler Reddick (+5000). Reddick is known for his prowess in running the high line at the 1.5-mile tracks.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Overview
While Las Vegas Motor Speedway has the same length as Homestead-Miami Speedway, the surface is not nearly as rough on tires. LVMS has banking that goes up to 20 degrees, making Kansas Speedway the most comparable track on the 2021 NASCAR betting schedule. Because the banking is less steep compared to other notable 1.5-mile tracks like Charlotte and Texas, the tire setup and compound tend to be different at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With no practice or qualifying ahead of this year’s Pennzoil 400, in-race adjustments could prove critical in determining which cars turn out to be contenders.
Our Las Vegas Motor Speedway overview article provides additional in-depth analysis on the 1.5-mile track.
Pennzoil 400 Driver Statistics
Refer to the lists below for NASCAR betting driver statistics from previous races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Average Finishing Position at Las Vegas
(Active drivers with 3+ starts at the track)
| Rank | Driver | Starts | Best Finish | Average Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael McDowell | 10 | 1 | 11.0 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 10 | 1 | 13.5 |
| 3 | Bubba Wallace | 8 | 2 | 15.1 |
| 4 | Kyle Larson | 9 | 6 | 15.8 |
| 5 | Austin Dillon | 10 | 1 | 16.1 |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | 10 | 5 | 16.2 |
| 7 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 13 | 16.7 |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 7 | 7 | 17.9 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | 6 | 7 | 18.2 |
| 10 | Joey Logano | 10 | 4 | 18.3 |
| 11 | Corey LaJoie | 9 | 6 | 18.7 |
| T-12 | Aric Almirola | 9 | 4 | 18.9 |
| T-12 | Matt DiBenedetto | 10 | 7 | 18.9 |
| 14 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 10 | 1 | 19.0 |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 10 | 3 | 19.2 |
Driver Rating at Las Vegas
| Rank | Driver | Starts | Car Number | Average Driver Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 7 | 22 | 93.1 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 7 | 11 | 92.1 |
| 3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 7 | 47 | 87.2 |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 7 | 18 | 86.3 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 7 | 9 | 85.6 |
| 6 | Ryan Blaney | 7 | 12 | 83.8 |
| 7 | Alex Bowman | 7 | 48 | 83.2 |
| 8 | Kevin Harvick | 7 | 4 | 82.8 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 7 | 3 | 82.6 |
| 10 | Michael McDowell | 7 | 34 | 82.0 |
| 11 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 20 | 81.4 |
| 12 | William Byron | 7 | 24 | 78.7 |
| 13 | Bubba Wallace | 7 | 23 | 76.9 |
| 14 | Kyle Larson | 6 | 5 | 76.1 |
| 15 | Brad Keselowski | 7 | 2 | 75.2 |
Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Odds and Best NASCAR Picks
Pennzoil 400 Race Winner: Brad Keselowski (+900 at MyBookie Sportsbook)
Keselowski’s racing history at Las Vegas Motor Speedway alone makes him a justifiable NASCAR betting pick to win this week’s Pennzoil 400. A career average finish of under 5 at the track is truly remarkable. His driver rating of 94.4 is nothing to brush aside either. Keselowski leads all active NASCAR drivers with three career wins at LVMS, including two in the spring Pennzoil 400 race. While the #2 car has not won in Sin City since the fall of 2018, Keselowski has finished in the top 10 in three of the four races since (two top-3 finishes in that span).
Narrowing our focus into the first three races of the 2021 NASCAR season, Keselowski has run well to date. He was in position to come away with a win before the last lap crash in the Daytona 500. In the first 1.5-mile track race of the season last week, Keselowski’s 47 laps led trailed only Chris Buescher and race winner William Byron. Furthermore, Team Penske has had a firm grip on Las Vegas Motor Speedway in recent seasons. While teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney will certainly be in contention as well, I’ll roll with the elder Keselowski as my NASCAR betting pick to win the Pennzoil 400.
Other Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Betting Picks
Best Finish in Group B: Denny Hamlin (+330)
Best Finish Matchup: Matt DiBenedetto (-115) vs. Cole Custer
The following odds are taken from DraftKings Sportsbook
Top 5 Finish: Brad Keselowski (+140)
Top 10 Finish: Tyler Reddick (+200)
Manufacturer of Winning Car: Ford (+135)
Team of Race Winner: Team Penske (+290)
