Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart will be looking to beat the NASCAR odds this weekend and lock down Chase berths as the Sprint Cup Series stages the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart are the only two drivers in the Top 10 of the Sprint Cup standings who have yet to clinch Chase berths, with the circuit's postseason getting underway after the race at Richmond on Saturday night. That means both drivers will be looking for strong showings in the Wonderful Pistachios 400 to avoid slipping below the cutoff line for the NASCAR postseason.
And the best way to avoid slipping for both drivers is to take the checkered flag on Saturday night, with Stewart at 11/1 and Earnhardt Jr. back at 30/1 on the NASCAR odds board for the race at Sportsbook; they've each visited Victory Lane three times at Richmond in their Cup careers.
Kyle Busch sits as the 7/2 favorite at Sportsbook to get the win on Saturday night, with Denny Hamlin just behind him at 5/1 odds; Busch picked up Cup wins at Richmond in 2009, 2010, and earlier this season, while Hamlin won races on the track in both 2009 and 2010. Hamlin also needs a good showing this weekend to ensure he'll be one of the 12 Chase drivers next week.
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied at 8/1 odds at Sportsbook to take the checkered flag at the Wonderful Pistachios 400, with Carl Edwards at 11/1, and both Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick at 14/1. Here are the complete race odds . . .
Odds to Win the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Sportsbook
Kyle Busch 7/2
Denny Hamlin 5/1
Jeff Gordon 8/1
Jimmie Johnson 8/1
Carl Edwards 11/1
Tony Stewart 11/1
Brad Keselowski 14/1
Kevin Harvick 14/1
Kurt Busch 18/1
Matt Kenseth 20/1
Clint Bowyer 22/1
Kasey Kahne 22/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 30/1
Greg Biffle 30/1
Ryan Newman 30/1
A.J. Allmendinger 40/1
Jeff Burton 40/1
Joey Logano 40/1
Mark Martin 40/1
Martin Truex Jr. 40/1
David Ragan 50/1
Jamie McMurray 50/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 50/1
Paul Menard 50/1
Brian Vickers 65/1
David Reutimann 75/1
Marcos Ambrose 80/1
Regan Smith 125/1
Bobby Labonte 250/1
Landon Cassill 300/1
Andy Lally 500/1
Casey Mears 500/1
Dave Blaney 500/1
David Gilliland 500/1
David Stremme 500/1
J.J. Yeley 500/1
Joe Nemechek 500/1
Michael McDowell 500/1
Mike Bliss 500/1
Mike Skinner 500/1
Robby Gordon 500/1
Scott Speed 500/1
Stephen Leicht 500/1
T.J. Bell 500/1
Travis Kvapil 500/1
