The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series continues this week, as the action shifts to Talladega Speedway for 500 laps of insane, rubber-burning action. Of course, guys like Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney are going to be among the top attractions for bettors, but that doesn’t mean there’s no value in the sleepers. Check out three of those high-value sleepers below.
Newman is coming off a disappointing 30th-place finish in last week’s TOYOTA OWNERS 400 race at Richmond Raceway, but there’s still plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about his chances of coming away with a victory this weekend in Talladega. Newman is among the most experienced Talladega drivers among active NASCAR racers. He has 38 appearances at the Talladega Speedway and while he has not won there, he’s finished inside the top five seven times, in the top 10 16 times, and in the top 20 22 times. His career average finish there is at 18.53. Moreover. Newman has finished seventh or better in three of his last four starts at Talladega Speedway, including a runner-up performance in the 2019 edition of the 1000Bulbs.com 500.
Corey LaJoie (+10,000)
LaJoie finished just 28th in the last race he started in Talladega, which was during last year’s YellaWood 500. However, he has shown glimpses of promise there. In 2019, he finished inside the top 11 in two appearances at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing 11th at the GEICO 500 and then seventh at the 1000Bulbs.com 500.
Daniel Suarez (+6600)
Suarez finished fourth at the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (Dirt), but failed to sustain that form, as he went 32nd at the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 then 16th at the Richmond Raceway. Suarez will enter this weekend’s race looking to recapture his pretty solid form in his earlier appearances at Talladega Speedway. Over a five-race stretch in Talladega from 2017 to 2019, Suarez managed to have three top 15s, including a 10th-place finish there during the 2018 staging of the GEICO 500 in which he even led for a lap.
The potential paydays on the sleeper picks above look pretty great, but you may also want to hedge your bets with a favorite too. View our complete betting predictions for the 2021 GEICO 500 Nascar Cup Series race this Sunday.
