NASCAR at Atlanta 2018: Odds, fantasy advice, prediction, sleepers, drivers to watch

Following a crash-filled Daytona 500, NASCAR proceeds to Atlanta’s weathered 1.54-mile asphalt trail.

The monitor is preferred by many NASCAR drivers since the surface allows for side-by-side racing in grooves. Tires wear out putting a greater significance.

Kevin Harvick won the first two phases at Atlanta, but a punishment allowed Brad Keselowski to swoop in for the flag. Keselowski passed Kyle Larson for the lead with six rebounds to go for his first win of 2017.

All eyes will be on Georgia native Chase Elliott this weekend has he seems to catch his first Cup Series win. Back in the No. 9 car, a number made famous by his Hall of Fame father Bill, Chase does have a fair chance to win based on last year’s numbers.

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Elliott recorded two second-place finishes, seven top fives, and nine top-10s at 1.5-mile tracks in 2017. The Dawsonville, Ga., native also averaged the third-best average finish of Cup drivers (9.82) on 1.5-mile tracks last year.

Ahead of Keselowski’s win last year, Elliott’s teammate Jimmie Johnson was victorious in two Atlanta races. Johnson, who possesses a Cup Series record 28 wins 1.5-mile tracks in his profession, has five wins, 14 top fives together with a series-best driver evaluation of 105.4 in Atlanta.

While Johnson has become the old king of 1.5-mile monitors, our pick to win Sunday is reigning champion Martin Truex Jr., that has been nearly unbeatable at intermediate ovals.

Truex won seven of those 11 1.5-mile speedway races last year with nine top fives for an average finish of 2.5. He is still looking for his first win at Atlanta but we expect him to get the job done Sunday (if the rain holds off) despite starting out from the back of the area.

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