NASCAR odds: You can probably guess the favorite at Indy

You can probably guess which driver is listed as the favorite to win Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

For the second consecutive week and sixth time in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the sport’s top drivers are set to go road course racing.

For the third time, they are set to do so at a venue that has just been introduced to the calendar this year.

This race, the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, is the 24th of 36 races on the schedule, and it is the antepenultimate race of the regular season before the four-round, 10-race playoffs. It is also the penultimate road course race of the year.

Where is the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard?

As the name implies, this race is set to take place at the Brickyard: Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But it will not take place on the Speedway, Indiana oval, as the Brickyard 400 tradition is no more.

This race is the inaugural Cup Series race at the track’s 13-turn, 2.439-mile (3.925-kilometer) interior road course. The Xfinity Series raced on this layout for the first time last year.

Indianapolis broadcast information

The Verizon 200 at the Brickyard is set to be broadcast live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 15.

Who is on the pole?

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Believe it or not, because the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is a new venue on this year’s schedule, there is actually a qualifying session scheduled to set the starting lineup. It is scheduled to take place the morning of the race — at 9:05 a.m. ET (CNBC/NBC Sports app) to be exact.

This is set to be the penultimate qualifying session of the season, as there are no more on the schedule until the final race of the year at Phoenix Raceway in November.

Betting odds for Indianapolis

Here’s a quick list of the top 10 favorites, according to WynnBET.

• Chase Elliott: +175
• Kyle Larson: +300
• Martin Truex Jr.: +600
• Kyle Busch: +800
• Denny Hamlin: +1100
• Christopher Bell: +1500
• William Byron: +1500
• Austin Cindric: +1500
• A.J. Allmendinger: +1700
• Joey Logano: +1700

Download the WynnBET App in New Jersey, Indiana or Colorado.

Indianapolis betting prediction

There’s nobody in the world who is going to disagree with Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson being listed as the top two favorites for this race.

They have won four of the five road course races so far this season (with three second place finishes as well), so betting on both might not actually be a bad strategy if you’re looking for the best chance to win money without risking it all on one driver; their odds allow for that option (see why here).

Elliott himself already has almost twice as many road course wins as any other active driver with seven, good for third on the all-time list, and he is still just 25 years old. He has won seven of the last 12 road course races, and four of his five losses could have easily been wins.

Two were second place finishes (both to Larson, unsurprisingly), another was a DNF due to a mechanical issue that knocked him out of the top three, and another was a disastrous 21st place finish thanks to a controversial caution while he was dominating.

The other was just an average sixth place effort.

Additionally, he is two for two this season winning inaugural road course events, having won at both Circuit of the Americas and Road America (Road America did host a Cup Series race previously, but that was back in 1956). In fact, he has won three in a row going back to last year’s inaugural race at the Daytona International Speedway road course.

As for Larson, he has won two of the last three road course races, including this past Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International (ahead of a charging Elliott in second place) after entering the year without a road course victory.

Beyond the top two, there is the potential for good value with road course aces Austin Cindric (+1500) and A.J. Allmendinger (+1700). They have been strong in their select road course starts in the Cup Series so far this season and should definitely factor into the mix, despite not being full-time drivers.

Christopher Bell (+1500) could also be a steal, considering the success he has had on road courses in his first year at Joe Gibbs Racing, including a win at the Daytona International Speedway road course and a runner-up finish at Road America.

He had a shot at the win this past weekend at Watkins Glen International after being forced to start from the back, but he was spun late by Larson.

Those are tempting odds for three drivers who are pretty much as good as anybody on circuits with both left and right turns.

Make your pick now in New Jersey, Indiana or Colorado.