Michael McDowell is on the pole for today’s Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The green flag drops on the fifth event of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at 2 p.m. ET.
The Front Row Motorsports driver took his sixth pole of the year on Saturday, and all of the poles have been earned at superspeedways.
McDowell has +2200 odds to earn his first career win at the site, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. His highest finish there to date is third in the second Talladega race of the 2022 season.
Ryan Blaney is tied for the best odds to win the YellaWood 500, at +1000. The Penske Racing star is the defending champion of the Talladega playoff race. Blaney has finished in the top two in three of his last four at this track.
Talladega is a drama-filled and often unpredictable track, because the close quarters racing will frequently lead to wrecks that collect a lot of drivers. Be sure to spread your wagers among different drivers, because “The Big One” can take the guy who was wagered on out of the race at any time.
NASCAR at Talladega: YellaWood 500 expert picks for Sunday
- Austin Dillon to finish top 5: +800 at BetMGM
- Todd Gilliland to finish top 5: +280 at BetMGM
NASCAR playoffs at Talladega: YellaWood 500 winner odds
*courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook and accurate as of Oct. 6
- Ryan Blaney +1000
- Joey Logano +1000
- Brad Keselowski +1100
- Kyle Busch +1300
- Denny Hamlin +1400
- William Byron +1400
- Chase Elliott +1600
- Austin Cindric +1800
- Kyle Larson +2000
- Tyler Reddick +2000
- Martin Truex Jr. +2000
- Michael McDowell +2200
- Bubba Wallace +2200
- Chris Buescher +2200
Byron leads the playoff standings as the 12 drivers in contention look to advance to the Round of 8. The Hendrick Motorsports standout is 34 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutline. The Cup Series is at the midway point of the postseason as it heads to one of the circuit’s most chaotic and exciting tracks.
The close side-by-side drafting that highlights the event will pave the way to both thrilling and frustrating results. While you can wager on the drivers with the best recent history at Talladega and Daytona, there is always the possibility of a longer shot ending up in Victory Lane.
Your bets do not have to be limited to picking the winners, though. The NASCAR Cup Series wagering fun increases when you strap in and put down bets on top 3 finishers, top 5 finishers, and driver props. As an example, you can bet on a driver to win, finish in the top 5, and take him in a straight up driver vs. driver or group driver prop bet.
The betting options are not limited to driver wagers, either. Put down some of your bonus bets on the manufacturer of the winning car, and the best finish by a car for an individual manufacturer.
NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: YellaWood 500 favorites
Blaney qualified fifth, and he has the all-time Best Driver Rating at Talladega (91.0). Driver Rating is a prime NASCAR statistical metric that measures a driver’s pure performance in a single. The DR formula mixes in various statistical factors and is an essential tool for driver evaluation at a particular track.
Logano starts sixth, and he is aiming to show his best finishing form again. He is a three-time winner at Talladega, but Logano placed in the top 20 once in his last five starts at the site.
Keselowski is a two-time playoff winner at Talladega, joining Blaney and Logano in that select group. The No. 6 Ford Driver is not in the playoff field, but he leads all active drivers with six Talladega wins.
Non-playoff drivers cannot be overlooked at this track. Kyle Busch is not part of the postseason picture, yet he did win the first race at Talladega in 2023. If you are looking for a playoff “spoiler”, consider that he qualified fourth on Saturday.
NASCAR playoffs at Talladega: YellaWood 500 contenders
Hamlin won the Talladega playoff race in 2020. He finished third in the playoff race at the site last year and is a five-time winner at Talladega and Daytona combined.
Byron is a fine target for wagering overall, but he has never won at Talladega and has only three top 5s in 15 starts. Still, Byron won the Daytona 500 this year and cannot be counted out if he avoids major damage.
Cindric, who qualified second, is a preferred pick of many NASCAR analysts for this week. He finished in the top 5 in the Talladega playoff race last year. Cindric qualified second in both races at the site this year, so a strong finish is very possible if he steers clear of mishaps.
YellaWood 500 longshots and sleepers
McDowell is at +440 to finish in the Top 3 at FanDuel Sportsbook, and he is always a viable pick to run well at a superspeedway. Todd Gilliland qualified third, and is at +2800 to win and +280 to finish in the Top 5. Austin Dillon, a 2022 Daytona winner, is at +5500 to win, and he qualified seventh. You can also consider him at +800 for a Top 5 finish.
Anthony Alfredo is at +2400 to finish in the top 5, yet he placed sixth in the first Talladega race this season. Daniel Hemric is at +1500 to finish in the top 5 and he already has a top 5 and a top 9 to his credit in the two Talladega races he was able to finish in five career starts.
