Harvick now favored to win NASCAR Cup Series following Atlanta triumph

There was a four-way tie for NASCAR Cup Series championship favoritism going into the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday, but Kevin Harvick broke it following an easy victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Harvick now sits at +500, just ahead of second-choice Chase Elliott (+550). Kyle Busch remains at +600, while Brad Keselowski jumped up slightly to +700. So, is now the time to pull the trigger on Harvick in this market, or is there someone else that’s ready to make his move at better odds? Let’s investigate below.

Harvick has struggled at Martinsville

NASCAR has two races scheduled this week – Wednesday at Martinsville and Sunday at Homestead-Miami. And while Harvick has done well at the latter, finishing Top 5 in his last six races with a victory in 2014, he hasn’t fared nearly as well at "The Paperclip."

"The Closer" has one win in 37 starts at Martinsville in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’s also failed to lead a lap in each of his last four races there. If Harvick struggles at this oval once more, his odds are bound to bump up a touch.

Truex is poised for a breakout performance

The best bet in this market may be a driver who hasn’t budged from his +800 odds in the last two weeks – Martin Truex Jr.

The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion has done very well at both Martinsville and Homestead-Miami in recent races. He dominated last fall’s event at "The Paperclip", leading 464 of 500 laps in victory. Truex placed Top 5 in four of his last five visits to the Virginia speedway. At Homestead-Miami, Truex has a win and two runner-up results in his last three outings, compiling 201 laps led.

Truex has hit the Top 10 in five of the first six races since NASCAR returned on May 17. He posted his best finish in that stretch on Sunday, taking third at Atlanta, where he led 65 laps.

Get your motor running with the latest NASCAR odds at BetAmerica!