This is it. The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) championship will be settled today at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin all vying for the title.
Harvick (2014), Busch (2015) and Truex (2017) each have a past championship under their belts, while Hamlin is searching for that elusive first title.
While the battle for the championship will dominate the coverage of today's Ford EcoBoost 400, there is still a full 40-car field with non-playoff drivers racing for the best finishes possible.
As a result, we still have an opportunity to put together a winning betting card that includes non-playoff drivers.
After analyzing historical results at Homestead, as well as this weekend's on-track activity, here are two bets I'm making for today's MENCS 2019 season finale.
NASCAR at Homestead Best Bet Picks
*Odds via the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook at 9 a.m. ET Sunday
Kyle Larson (12-1) to Win
I wrote extensively about why I like Larson earlier in the week and all of those points still stand. In fact, I'm surprised to see him float to 12-1 considering his track record at Homestead.
Larson was solid in practice, running the fifth-fastest 10-lap average, but his style at this racetrack really won't show up until the race. Kyle can run the wall better than anyone else, but because that line is dangerous, there's really no reason to mess around with it in practice.
As a result, we likely didn't see the best of what Larson has to offer, and won't until today's race.
Ryan Blaney (60-1)
In all honesty, I'm surprised that I like Blaney so much today. He wasn't on my radar earlier in the week, but his speed in practice can't be ignored.
Blaney ranked in the top five in five-, 10-, 15- and 20-lap averages in final practice.
At 60-1, I'm willing to take a shot that he's a borderline top-five car and give our betting card a longshot with the speed to mix it up with the favorites.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter as I continue adding to my betting card for today's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead.
