The NASCAR Cup Series is back on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
Sunday's Brickyard 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC) marks the first time Cup Series cars will run on the oval at Indianapolis. Tyler Reddick is favored to take the checkered flag based on the latest NASCAR odds for today.
Because I don't know what to expect from the Next Gen car's debut at Indy, I'm pivoting to a head-to-head driver matchup as my favorite NASCAR pick for Sunday's Brickyard 400.
NASCAR Odds, Pick for Indianapolis
*Odds as of Saturday night
Ryan Blaney won last week at Pocono, a track that's relatively similar to Indianapolis.
Further, Blaney backed that speed up with a seventh-place run in qualifying on Saturday.
On the other hand, Martin Truex Jr. managed just the 14th-fastest speed in qualifying. But more importantly, the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota failed inspection and will have to drop to the rear of the field prior to the start of Sunday's race and then serve a pass-through penalty on the first lap.
Because Indianapolis is a massive 2.5-mile track, this isn't a penalty that Truex won't be able to recover from, though it will put him in a massive hole in a race where passing will likely be very difficult, especially when compared to another top-tier driver starting in the top 10.
Considering Blaney's speed at Pocono, and so far this weekend, and Truex's penalty, I'm betting the Team Penske driver to finish ahead of the 2017 Cup Series champion on Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis.
NASCAR Pick:Ryan Blaney (-130) over Martin Truex Jr. – BetMGM
