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NASCAR at New Hampshire picks, odds, predictions: Martin Truex Jr. is on the pole – CBSSports.com

Who takes the checkered flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend? Here are our picks for Sunday’s race.

Winner: Martin Truex Jr.

How can you pick against this guy right now? Truex Jr. leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in both regular season and playoff points while his three wins have him tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most this year. Sunday’s pole-sitter is coming off an absolutely dominant victory at Kentucky where he added two more stage wins bringing his total up to 13. The No. 78 has never been to Victory Lane at New Hampshire, we expect him to take the checkered flag this weekend at a track where parity is the norm.

Contenders: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch

This may be Kenseth’s best shot to lock himself into the playoffs as he starts third. Joe Gibbs Racing is winless on the season and with news surfacing this week that Erik Jones is set to replace Kenseth in the famous No. 20 car next season, he definitely has something to prove at a track where he’s won three times over the course of his career. The other JGR driver with a shot to win this weekend is Kyle Busch, who will be starting in the top 10 again after winning the Xfinity Series pole as well. Busch has two wins at New Hampshire and is long overdue for a victory.

Wild card: Denny Hamlin

Keeping with the theme of winless Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, Hamlin has looked really well at New Hampshire in both practice and qualifying. Hamlin has had the third fastest car in practice and is set to start the race eighth next to teammate Kyle Busch. Like Busch, Hamlin also has two wins here and is very much on the bubble for a playoff spot. Don’t be surprised if Denny swipes a checkered flag on Sunday.

Overton’s 301 starting lineup

Martin Truex Jr., #78
Jimmie Johnson, #48
Matt Kenseth, #20
Jamie McMurray, #1
Kasey Kahne, #5
Erik Jones, #77
Kyle Busch, #18
Denny Hamlin, #11
Kurt Busch, #41
Brad Keselowski, #2
Chase Elliott, #24
Kevin Harvick, #4
Joey Logano, #22
Daniel Suarez, #19
Ryan Blaney, #21
Matt DiBenedetto, #32
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #17
Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88
Clint Bowyer, #14
Michael McDowell, #95
Aric Almirola, #43
Chris Buescher, #37
AJ Allmendinger, #47
Ryan Newman, #32
Ty Dillon, #13
Austin Dillon, #3
Trevor Bayne, #6
Landon Cassill, #34
Paul Menard, #27
Danica Patrick, #10
Corey LaJoie, #23
David Ragan, #38
Cole Whitt, #72
Gray Gaulding, #55
Reed Sorenson, #15
Ryan Sieg, #83
Jeffrey Earnhardt, #33
Josh Bilicki, #51
Kyle Larson, #42 (won pole but failed post-qualifying inspection)

Bold – denotes previous winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Track Info

Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Location: Loudon, NH
Track length: 1.058 miles

How to watch the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Overton’s 301

Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, July 16
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Length: 301 laps/318.46 miles
Stage 1: Ends on lap 75
Stage 2: Ends on lap 150
Final Stage: Scheduled for lap 301
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: NBC Sports App

How to watch the NASCAR Xfinity Series Overton’s 200

Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Date: Saturday, July 15
Time: 4 p.m ET
Length: 200 laps/211.6 miles
Stage 1: Ends on lap 45
Stage 2: Ends on lap 90
Stage 3: Scheduled for lap 200
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: NBC Sports App

Previous New Hampshire Motor Speedway winners

2016: Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth
2015: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch
2014: Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski
2013: Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers (retired)
2012: Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Standings

Winless drivers that have won at upcoming tracks

New Hampshire: Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne
Indianapolis: Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard
Pocono: Hamlin, Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kahne, Chris Buescher
Watkins Glen: Hamlin, Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger
Michigan: Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth, Kahne
Bristol: Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Kenseth, Earnhardt Jr., Kahne
Darlington: Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Kenseth
Richmond: Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Kenseth, Bowyer, Earnhardt Jr., Kahne

*A win guarantees drivers entrance into the NASCAR playoffs

Odds to win the Overton’s 301

Kyle Busch 6/1
Martin Truex Jr. 13/2
Kevin Harvick 7/1
Brad Keselowski 8/1
Denny Hamlin 8/1
Matt Kenseth 9/1
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Kyle Larson 12/1
Chase Elliott 14/1
Trevor Bayne 20/1
Joey Logano 20/1
Jamie McMurray 25/1
Clint Bowyer 25/1
Ryan Blaney 25/1
Kurt Busch 25/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 33/1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 40/1
Kasey Kahne 50/1
Paul Menard 50/1
Erik Jones 50/1
Austin Dillon 66/1
Danica Patrick 100/1

Odds to win the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Here are the betting odds for the Cup series title, via VegasInsider.com

Martin Truex Jr. 9/2
Kyle Busch 5/1
Jimmie Johnson 6/1
Brad Keselowski 6/1
Kevin Harvick 7/1
Kyle Larson 7/1
Joey Logano 10/1
Chase Elliott 14/1
Denny Hamlin 20/1
Ryan Blaney 20/1
Matt Kenseth 25/1
Clint Bowyer 33/1
Kurt Busch 40/1
Jamie McMurray 50/1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 50/1
Erik Jones 66/1
Austin Dillon 66/1
Ryan Newman 66/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 100/1
Kasey Kahne 100/1
Daniel Suarez 100/1
Danica Patrick 500/1