Michigan International Speedway will be the sight of NASCAR’s second weekend doubleheader with Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400, followed by the Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday.
Joey Logano is the defending champion at Michigan International Speedway, and has won two of the last five races there. But the FireKeepers Casino 400 is usually run the second week of June, and Logano finds himself the 10/1 pick to win.
The favorite to win on Saturday is Kevin Harvick who’s had success at MIS in August. Harvick won the last two Consumer Energy 400s in August at MIS, and is the 3/1 pick for Saturday.
Odds to Win FireKeepers Casino 400
| Driver | William Hill | Circa | FOX Bet |
| Kevin Harvick | 3/1 | +455 | 4/1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 11/2 | +555 | 6/1 |
| Ryan Blaney | 13/2 | +805 | 13/1 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 17/2 | +805 | 7/1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 9/1 | +805 | 7/1 |
| Joey Logano | 10/1 | +805 | 13/2 |
| Kyle Busch | 10/1 | +910 | 10/1 |
| Chase Elliott | 10/1 | +1200 | 7/1 |
| Aric Almirola | 16/1 | +1500 | 18/1 |
| Kurt Busch | 30/1 | +2000 | 28/1 |
| Erik Jones | 40/1 | +4000 | 35/1 |
| Alex Bowman | 40/1 | +1800 | 35/1 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 40/1 | +6000 | 55/1 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 40/1 | +3500 | 45/1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 40/1 | +4500 | 45/1 |
| William Byron | 50/1 | +3500 | 45/1 |
| Tyler Reddick | 50/1 | +5000 | 70/1 |
One fact to remember is that starting position here is key. There are just 156 laps in this contest and, of the last nine races, all of the winners started inside the top 12. Logano earned the pole for Saturday, and Harvick and Hamlin will be in the next two spots.
So who should do well in Michigan? We take a look at some drivers who have a chance to win, and others who might have to wait until next week.
Drivers to Consider
Kevin Harvick (3/1)
Harvick is the favorite, and for good reason. He’s won two of the last three races at MIS. He also has seven runner-ups, which are second-most all-time behind Jeff Gordon’s eight.
Brad Keselowski (9/1)
Michigan International Speedway has been most unkind to the Michigan native, but this year could be one of his best chances to win this race. He is coming off last week’s victory and has been running strong.
“It’s a love-hate relationship in a lot of ways because I really hated leaving there the last few times knowing how close we’ve been to winning and not being able to win,†Keselowski told reporters this week. “ But obviously it’s a love relationship. I love going there and feeling like I’m back where I grew up.â€
Aric Almirola (16/1)
Almirola seems to be the trendy long shot to take this week. He opened with odds of anywhere from 20/1 to 25/1, but has been bet all the way down to 15/1 at Circa.
“Michigan is a weird place for me because, in my mind, I feel like I run well there,†Almirola said. “I won a Truck race there years ago and, from that point forward, I just always loved going to Michigan.â€
Driver to Avoid
Ryan Blaney (13/2)
Blaney is another favorite of bettors this week, as his odds have dropped. That is reason enough not to take him. The value just isn’t there, especially since he hasn’t cracked the top 10 in his last two races.
