It’s yet another loaded weekend on tap in the world of stock car racing. The NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled to run not one but two races this week. The Pocono Raceway doubleheader has become a fixture of the annual season calendar. The 675-mile weekend gets started on Saturday afternoon with the Pocono Organics 325. When it comes to the NASCAR betting odds and picks for this race, one driver has been declared a massive favorite.
The following article offers a breakdown of the NASCAR odds and best NASCAR betting picks for Saturday’s Pocono Organics 325 race at Pocono Raceway.
Pocono Organics 325 Race Info
39th Pocono Organics 325
Date: Saturday, June 26, 2021
Start Time: 3 p.m. EST
Track: Pocono Raceway — Long Pond, PA
Coverage: NBCSN
Distance: 325 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-25; 26-77; 78-130)
Pole Sitter: Kyle Larson
Defending Champion: Kevin Harvick
Check out the complete Pocono Organics 325 starting lineup and race stats!
Pocono Organics 325 NASCAR Betting Odds
Who else but Kyle Larson (+215) could possibly be considered the NASCAR betting favorite to win this race? All Larson has done lately is win four straight races and string together seven consecutive top-2 finishes (including the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race). The No. 5 Camaro absolutely dominated yet again last weekend in Nashville. Larson has simply been in another stratosphere compared to the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series for the better part of the past two months. He also starts from the pole on Saturday and thus will have track position in his favor from the jump.
2020 Winners Lurking
As Kyle Larson continues to dominate, the top two drivers in terms of wins from a year ago have combined for zero victories this season. Those two drivers, Denny Hamlin (+750) and Kevin Harvick (+850) split the Pocono Raceway doubleheader a season ago. Oh, and each finished runner-up to the other in the race they didn’t win too. Despite neither reaching victory lane yet this season, it’s no surprise to see them in the lead pack of NASCAR betting challengers.
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2020 was the first year that ‘The Tricky Triangle’ hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races on the same weekend. While Hamlin and Harvick can claim to be the only two to win under the new format and distance, they also both have a history of running well at Pocono prior to last season. Each has averaged a top-10 finish over the last ten races. Harvick has scored a whopping seven top-5s in the last nine Pocono races.
Momentum is a Funny Thing
The NASCAR Cup Series season is a long grind. That said, there is plenty of time for drivers who get off to poor starts to find their footing as the year goes on. Two who appear to be doing just that are Aric Almirola (+4000) and Kurt Busch (+5000). Almirola finished a season-best fourth last weekend at Nashville. Busch also turned in a solid run and finished in the top-10. Both are veterans of the series and each has a relatively solid history at Pocono Raceway. Busch scored a win here back in 2016 while Almirola managed to finish top-5 in both races of the doubleheader weekend a season ago. The No. 1 and No. 10 cars could be worth a look when hunting for Pocono Organics 325 longshot NASCAR betting picks.
Pocono Organics 325 NASCAR Betting Picks
Pocono Organics 325 Race Winner: Kyle Busch (+800)
I should preface this winner pick by saying a bet on Kyle Larson to win is by no means a bad pick. But for as dominant as Larson has been, it’s still hard to say +215 odds offer a whole lot of NASCAR betting value. A more favorable price can be found in the 8-1 odds on Kyle Busch. Rowdy has been running well for several weeks now. He was a top-5 car at Nashville for much of the day until some late-race issues. Even so, he recovered to finish 11th. Busch was notably the lone car breaking up the Hendrick Motorsports parade at Charlotte and did get screwed in a way at COTA. Furthermore, Busch’s history at Pocono Raceway is solid. He has three wins, five top-5s and eight top-10s in the last ten races, including a fifth-place result in the Pocono Organics 325 last year. Look for the No. 18 to be a factor and perhaps Larson’s top challenger on Saturday.
Other Pocono Organics 325 NASCAR Betting Picks
Top 10 Finish: Aric Almirola (+135)
For everything that has gone wrong this season for Aric Almirola, the last two weeks have certainly been encouraging. After winning the NASCAR All-Star Open, Almirola won the pole position and finished fourth at Nashville. His stats are solid at Pocono Raceway. Almirola has five top-10s in the last six races and finished third in the Pocono Organics 325 a season ago. With a better starting spot (11th) this weekend than he has had on most occasions this season, the No. 10 has a great shot to nail down another solid finish.
Race Matchup: Joey Logano (+100) vs. Brad Keselowski
This head-to-head matchup pits a pair of Team Penske garage mates against one another. Given how Brad Keselowski has been running in recent weeks, it’s a bit of a surprise to see him as such a heavy favorite. Joey Logano has been much more consistent this season and was easily the team’s top car last week. The only thing working in Keselowski’s favor is his history at Pocono. Logano has a massive advantage in starting position and should be able to win this NASCAR betting matchup.
Best Finish in Group B: Kevin Harvick (+200)
Can someone please explain to me what Kevin Harvick is doing in NASCAR betting Group B for this race? He is the defending Pocono Organics 325 champion and has averaged a ridiculous finish of 5.6 over the last ten races at ‘The Tricky Triangle’. That stretch includes seven top-5s and nine top-10s. In Group B, Harvick is up against two drivers who also have sound Pocono stats in Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. The only difference is that neither of them has been a factor for several weeks now. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman only has two top-10 finished in six prior starts at Pocono. Take those 2-1 odds on the No. 4 car and run.
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