I typically wait until race-day morning to write up any NASCAR bets I'm making, but with our very own Nick Giffen taking that on tomorrow, I decided to crank out a longshot I really like for Pocono for two reasons:
- It's a good bet
- This number is already getting pummeled by bettors
So let's not waste any time and cannonball right into the longshot driver to bet for Sunday's M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA).
NASCAR Pick for Pocono
*Odds as of Saturday night
Erik Jones was extremely fast in Cup Series practice on Saturday afternoon as he posted the sixth-fastest single lap and the fourth-best five-lap average.
In fact, Jones' five-lap average of 54.05 was barely off Ross Chastain's 54.002, which was the best of all drivers, meaning the driver of the No. 43 Petty GMS Chevy was right there with the fastest cars in practice.
However, when it came to qualifying, Jones was a bit too aggressive and scraped the wall, essentially killing his lap and relegating him to a 34th-place starting spot.
While starting at the back of the field isn't ideal, we know that car has plenty of speed in race trim and Pocono is a track that often opens differing strategies for teams, so there are paths for Jones to get this car to the front of the field.
As much as I try to convince myself I'm the smartest bettor out there (lol), plenty of other NASCAR bettors agree with me on this one.
Jones was available at 66-1 at BetMGM and 50-1 at DraftKings a very short time ago. Those numbers are now 40-1 at both shops with Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas already down to 30-1 and Circa at 22-1.
Thankfully, PointsBet is still hanging Jones at 60-1, a line NASCAR bettors should consider pouncing on right now if interested in the reasons I detailed above.
The bet: Erik Jones (60-1) to Win
