The last race of the month of April will happen down in Alabama with the 2021 edition of the GEICO 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway. Have you made your picks yet? If you’re still on the fence, you can let the experts break down which drivers you should be keeping a close eye on.
SportsLine believes that Alex Bowman could be a “huge payday” waiting to happen in the 2021 GEICO 500. That’s despite the fact that Bowman is currently priced +1600 to win the race. Bowman could still be hot when he gets inside his car at the Talladega Superspeedway, as he just won the most previous Cup race, topping the field in the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 at Richmond Raceway just last week. Bowman has cracked the top 10 twice in his last four appearances in Talladega, including a runner-up finish in the 2019 edition of the GEICO 500.
Covers
Expert
Top driver to watch out for
Covers
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin (+600) is still winless this season, but what a run he is having. He has finished inside the top five in all of his last six races. Last week, he led for 207 laps before a frustrating second-place finish in Richmond. He must still be feeling great about his chances this weekend. He seems to love racing at Talladega Superspeedway, having collected nine top 5s in 30 appearances there. He’s also got two wins on that track. That includes the victory he had the last time he raced in Talladega, which was back in October 2020’s YellaWood 500. Furthermore, Hamlin has cracked the top five in four of his past five appearances at the Talladega Superspeedway.
William Blackwell
Expert
Pick
William Blackwell
Ryan Blaney
William Blackwell believes that Ryan Blaney (+900) is “going to get the job done” in Talladega this coming Sunday. It’s easy to see why Blaney is one of the best drivers to bet on in Talladega races. For one, he’s already got two wins there in 13 career appearances. Plus, he’s been pretty consistent this season with two top 5s and four top 10s in nine starts, including a win at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 back in March.
“Blaney has got to be a part of the conversation of top drivers to watch out for in Talladega. Remember, he has won in two of his last three appearances at the Talladega Superspeedway and has a career average finish of 18.08 in 13 races there. Blaney secured a spot in the playoffs this season with a win at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in Atlanta.”
