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NASCAR Sprint Cup Bank of America 500 Preview and Prediction

Charlotte – Bank of America 500 Predictions

NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series returns to racing under the prime time lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway this week for the running of the Bank of America 500. Saturday night’s race is set to get underway at 7:30 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

Race: Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013
Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Broadcast: ABC

Kevin Harvick finds himself back in the thick of this year’s Chase to the Sprint Cup title with a victory last week at Kansas. Kurt Busch ended-up second and Jeff Gordon kept his title hopes alive by finishing third.

The following is a closer look at our favorite, contender, and longshot picks for this Saturday night’s afternoon’s race with odds provided by Sportsbook.

The Favorite (odd of less than 10/1)

Matt Kenseth started the Chase in first place in the Sprint Cup standings and padded his lead with victories at Chicago and New Hampshire. Heading into the fifth race of this 10-race playoff run, the lead has been cut to just three points so he is well aware that a victory on Saturday night would go a long way putting the No. 20 car back into the driver seat to lock-up this year’s title.

Kenseth has been opened at +400 to capture his eighth checkered flag of the season and adding even more value to these odds is the fact that he won this race in 2011. He finished 14th in last year’s race and 15th in the first race at Charlotte this season. [ad-8757089]

The Contender (odds from 10/1 to 19/1)

This is the time of the year where you have to race to win on every lap around the track so you have to love the momentum that Kevin Harvick brings into this week’s race after last week’s victory. You also have to love his +1000 odds to win given that the No. 29 car is now just 25 points in back of Kenseth for the lead in the standings.

Harvick adds some tremendous value to these longer odds considering that he will be going for the season sweep at Charlotte after taking the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this season. He has now finished eighth or better in five of his last six trips around this track.

The Longshot (odds 20/1 or greater)

The pickings are mighty slim for this race when the odds start getting this high, but if you are still looking to bet on a longshot this week you might want to consider Denny Hamlin at +2500.

It has been a lost season for the No. 11 race team, but he is still a driver that knows how to win Sprint Cup races. Hamlin has not placed in the top 10 since the first race at Pocono earlier this summer.

However, a fourth-place finish at Charlotte in the first race here this season along with a pair of second place finishes at this track in 2012 does add some value to his odds.

Odds from Bovada

MATT KENSETH 4-1
JIMMIE JOHNSON 5-1
KYLE BUSCH 6-1
KASEY KAHNE 7-1
JEFF GORDON 10-1
KEVIN HARVICK 10-1
JOEY LOGANO 10-1
KURT BUSCH 15-1
CARL EDWARDS 15-1
BRAD KESELOWSKI 18-1
CLINT BOWYER 18-1
DALE EARNHARDT JR 18-1
DENNY HAMLIN 25-1
MARTIN TRUEX JR 25-1
GREG BIFFLE 30-1
BRIAN VICKERS 35-1
RYAN NEWMAN 35-1
JAMIE McMURRAY 60-1
JEFF BURTON 75-1
JUAN MONTOYA 75-1
MARK MARTIN 100-1
PAUL MENARD 100-1
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 100-1
ARIC ALMIROLA 200-1
MARCOS AMBROSE 200-1
KYLE LARSON 300-1
DANICA PATRICK 1000-1
FIELD 300-1

ODDS TO WIN 2013 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

JIMMIE JOHNSON 5-7
MATT KENSETH 5-4
KEVIN HARVICK 15-1
KYLE BUSCH 15-1
JEFF GORDON 18-1
DALE EARNHARDT JR 40-1
JOEY LOGANO 50-1
CLINT BOWYER 50-1
KURT BUSCH 50-1
GREG BIFFLE 50-1
CARL EDWARDS 50-1
RYAN NEWMAN 100-1
KASEY KAHNE 100-1

*SPRINT Cup Odds provided by Bovada

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.