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NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 400 Preview and Prediction

2013 STP 400 Predictions

This week NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series will make its first stop of the season at Kansas Speedway for the running of the STP 400. Sunday’s race is set to get underway at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 400 Preview and Prediction
Race: STP 400, Kansas Speedway
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2013
Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
Broadcast: FOX

Odds: Bovada

Kyle Busch’s recent hot streak continued last Saturday night with a victory in the NRA 500, which was his second checkered flag in the past three Sprint Cup point races.

Martin Truex Jr. ended-up second and Carl Edwards took third.

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

The Favorite (odd of less than 10/1)

In what seems like a weekly occurrence, Jimmie Johnson has been opened as the favorite to win on Sunday.

This time around, along with Greg Biffle, he has been listed at +600 to make a third trip to victory lane this year. The No.48 car also has three other top-10 finishes in the first seven races to continue to hold down the top spot in the Sprint Cup standings with 269 points.

Johnson’s recent performance at Kansas Speedway also warrants these lofty odds with eight-straight top-10 finishes including a victory in the second race at this track in 2011 and a third-place finish in last year’s race. [ad-8757089]

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

It has been a very quiet start for one of NASCAR’s top Sprint Cup drivers; however you cannot help but get the feeling that Kevin Harvick and his No.29 car is due for a breakout race after posting just one top-10 finish in his first seven runs this year. The team has raced well enough to rank 12th in the standings with 192 points so the form is still there.

Harvick has also raced well at Kansas over the past few seasons with three top-10 finishes in his last five races here including a sixth-place finish in last year’s race; making it is easy to see the value in his +1500 odds to win this week.

The Longshot (odds 20/1 or greater)

Jamie McMurray comes into this race as a true longshot to win at +7500, but worth a second look given his current form. The No.1 car finished 16th last week at Texas, but it cracked the top 10 at both Bristol and Martinsville earlier in the season and is currently 13th in the standings with 190 points.

Last year at Kansas, McMurray remained competitive in both races only to fade down the stretch to a 14th-place finish in this race and a 15th-place finish in the second race of the year.

His best career finish here was seventh in 2004 after leading 19 laps of that race.

Odds from Bovada

Jimmie Johnson 6/1
Kyle Busch 7/1
Brad Keselowski 7/1
Matt Kenseth 8/1
Greg Biffle 8/1
Carl Edwards 12/1
Kasey Kahne 12/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 12/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Clint Bowyer 15/1
Martin Truex Jrn15/1
Kevin Harvick 15/1
Tony Stewart 20/1
Brian Vickers 25/1
Joey Logano 25/1
Aric Almirola 40/1
Mark Martin 40/1
Kurt Busch 50/1
Ricky Stenhouse 60/1
Ryan Newman 60/1
Marcos Ambrose 75/1
Paul Menard 75/1
Jamie McMurray 75/1
Elliott Sadler 100/1
Juan Montoya 100/1
Jeff Burton 200/1
Regan Smith 300/1
Danica Patrick 300/1
Casey Mears 300/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 50/1

*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.