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NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 400 Preview and Prediction

NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 400 Preview and Prediction

Race: STP 400

Date: Sunday, April 22, 2012

Time: 1 p.m. (ET)

Broadcast: FOX

 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series is headed to Kansas City this week for the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Sunday’s race is set to start at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

Last Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, Greg Biffle took the checkered flag to add to his lead in the Sprint Cup point standings. Jimmie Johnson finished second and veteran driver Mark Martin made a strong showing with a third-place finish after starting fourth.

The following is a closer look at our favorite, contender, and longshot for this Sunday’s race along with their current odds to win as provided by Bovada.

The Favorite (odds of less than 10/1)

Jimmie Johnson comes into this week’s race as the favorite at 11/2. The bitter memory of Daytona has passed as the No.48 car has posted four top-five finishes in the six races since that disastrous start. Johnson has risen to eighth in the standings with 233 points and is now 40 points out of a first. His current form along with his past performance at Kansas adds tremendous value to these odds. He has finished in the top 10 in his last six races here including a win in this race in 2008 and a win in the second race at this track last season. Johnson’s average finishing position here is a lofty 8.4.

The Contender (odds of 11/1 to 19/1)

It has been well over three years since Dale Earnhardt Jr. has crossed the finish line first in a Sprint Cup point race, but his three top-five finishes this season have vaulted the No. 88 car into a tie for second in the standings with 254 points. He has been opened as a moderate longshot at 18/1 to finally get this huge monkey off his back with a win on Sunday. While Kansas has not been one of Junior’s strongest tracks with an average finishing position of 17.2, his current form along with a second place finish in last year’s race adds the value to these odds.

The Longshot (odds of 20/1 or higher)

Clint Bowyer is off to a solid start this season with three top-10 finishes including a fourth-place finish in the Food City 500. He is currently in 10th-place in the Sprint Cup standings with 219 points and 54 points out of the lead. Last year in the race, the No.15 car finished 18th after starting 27th but he bounced back with a seventh-place finish in the second race at Kansas. Bowyer has been opened as a 20/1 longshot to win this week but his current form should keep him competitive with the rest of the field.

 

By Dave Schwab

David Schwab is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog. While not cheering for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles David can be found working on his blog at www.eaglesinc.com. David wants to hear from you so please comment below.