LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 12: Brad Keselowski (2) Team Penske Ford Mustang does a burnout during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 Burnout event on September 12, 2019, on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Defending Las Vegas race winner Brad Keselowski is among those expecting the intensity to increase this weekend with the Playoff opener. A three-time winner at Vegas, Keselowski is a favorite this weekend and conceded that he’s fully prepared to do whatever is necessary to earn one of the coveted winner’s trophies en route to the Homestead-Miami Speedway Championship finale.
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 12: A general view of the start/finish line of Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the upcoming South Point 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff race on September 12, 2019, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV. Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sportsbooks in Las Vegas have decided one of the city’s native – Kyle Busch – is the odds on favorite to win both this weekend’s South Point 400 as well as the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup championship.
Busch, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, is the regular-season champ and a four-race winner in 2019. The casino’s sportsbook puts him as a 9-2 favorite to win Sunday’s Playoff opener and a 7-2 favorite to win the Cup championship. Defending race winner Brad Keselowski has the next most favorable odds to win again at Vegas.
Reigning series champion, Team Penske’s Joey Logano has the second-best odds 5-1 to repeat as champion, followed by Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 08: Ryan Newman, driver of the #6 Acorns Ford, Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 McDonald’s Chevrolet, Erik Jones, driver of the #20 STANLEY Wish For Our Heros Toyota, William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #19 AOI Toyota, Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Rush/Cummins Ford, Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Wabash National Ford, Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, Kurt Busch, driver of the #1 Monster Energy Chevrolet, Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford, Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Ford, Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield/Meijer Ford, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 08, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 16-driver Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field was set Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the same kind of drama and storyline fans can expect of the highly-anticipated ten-race Playoff that begins this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
LEXINGTON, OHIO – AUGUST 10: Austin Cindric, driver of the #22 PPG Ford, celebrates after winning the B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 10, 2019, in Lexington, Ohio. Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
LEXINGTON, Ohio _ Austin Cindric claimed his second NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in as many weeks – earning an impressive 3.78-second win over Christopher Bell and former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver A.J. Allmendinger Saturday afternoon at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 03: Austin Cindric, driver of the #22 MoneyLion Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Zippo 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 03, 2019 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Opportunity knocked for Austin Cindric after a mechanical failure knocked Kyle Busch out of Saturday’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International.