This could get ugly. The indication is that today's NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race should provide plenty of excitement, but that will likely also result in plenty of wrecks and unpredictability.
From a betting standpoint, this means that the Geico 70 is going to be tough to handicap, which is very similar to traditional NASCAR racing at Talladega Superspeedway.
As result, I'm looking for some low-risk, yet high-reward betting options that won't require heavy investments, but could pay off if this race truly goes off the rails.
Here are two longshots I'm betting to finish in the top three for Sunday's NASCAR iRacing Geico 70 at Talladega.
NASCAR iRacing at Talladega Odds, Longshot Picks
Odds as of Sunday at 7 a.m. ET and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.
Brad Keselowski (+1000) to Finish in the Top 3
Keselowski wasn't much of a sim racer when the iRacing Pro Invitational Series started, but he's gotten up to speed quickly.
Kez has really committed himself to getting better and it showed last week at Richmond. I fully expected sportsbooks to adjust Keselowski's odds considering how big of a story his improvement was, but Brad is right back at 40-1 this week.
I'm going to sprinkle some on Keselowski to win outright at 40-1 while taking a bigger crack on him to score a top-three finish at 10-1.
[Bet now at DraftKings. NJ and WV only.]
Bobby Labonte (+1000) to Finish in the Top 3
I have to say, when the NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series started I didn't think Labonte had much of a chance to be competitive with the younger generation of drivers, like William Byron, who have grown up sim racing … but I was wrong.
Labonte isn't necessarily out there competing for wins, but he's more than holding his own, evidenced by finishes of 18th, 13th (twice) and 14th through four races.
Again, Bobby isn't threatening to win races, but he stays out of trouble enough — which is probably the single most important factor to contending at Talladega — to currently own the 12th-best average finish in the series.
In addition, Labonte has been working hard at his sim craft, including competing in Tuesday's Replacement Series race, so he is making sure he's getting iRacing experience at Talladega.
Like Keselowski, I'm going to put a small wager on Labonte to win at 40-1 odds and pairing that with a larger bet on a top-three finish.
[Bet now at DraftKings. NJ, and WV only.]
