NASCAR is back with a bang for the tenth race of the season in the Geico 500, with a host of the top drivers in the world looking to climb the rankings.
Last year in this race it was Ross Chastain who claimed the victory despite qualifying in 19th place, finishing ahead of Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch on the podium in one of only two race wins for the season.
We'll take a look at the race this weekend and provide you with our best free NASCAR picks while seeing if we can earn you some extra cash for the weekend.
| NASCAR Geico 500 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Logano | +1000 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1400 | +900 | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +1600 | +1200 | +1800 |
| Chase Elliott | +1200 | +1200 | +1400 |
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NASCAR Geico 500 information
- Sunday, April 23rd 2023
- Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, Alabama
- 188 laps, 500 miles
- 15:00 ET
NASCAR picks: Geico 500 favorites
Below you'll find a list of the favorites to win the NASCAR Geico 500 race.
Joey Logano - (+1200)
The 2022 series champion has one Geico 500 victory to his name in his career, and will be hoping to do it again this year.
These odds should be in no danger of shifting as the public is likely to stay away from the No. 22 car for this race, and last season it should be remembered that he finished in 32nd place, while in 2021 his car was flipped on it's head in a huge crash that left him furious and pointless.
As the reigning champion he can't be overlooked, but his form this season hasn't been. He comes into this game in 7th place in the standings with 258 points, and a second win of the season here seems unlikely.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
Ryan Blaney - (+1200)
People are starting to catch on to Ryan Blaney and he is the joint favorite to come out on top in this race with the bookies.
The 29-year-old has got a habit of getting disqualified from races for crashing, but his super-aggressive style can also lead to surprising victories and that is what this would be.
Arguably one of the most consistent drivers in all of NASCAR, his performances at Talladega Superspeedway have been good. He claimed the win back in 2020 while last season he just missed out on a top 10 finish by coming in 11th.
He's yet to win a race this season and currently sits in 10th position in the driver's standings, but he's got history here. He made it to the playoffs last year without winning a race, so he's likely to do the same again this year. But don't rule out that first win coming this weekend.
Chase Elliott - (+1400)
Elliott has already won a Cup Series championship in his young career, and he claimed the win in the Geico 500 back in 2019 with the fastest time since Bobby Hamilton's win back in 2001.
He logged a series-high five victories last season which accounts for his place among the favorites for the race, and the value is unlikely to get any worse at this stage of the race week.
His good history at this track continue last season when he finished in 7th place, which made up for his DNF in 2021 and his 38th place finish in 2020, and he'll be looking to get back to winning ways on this track.
So far this season he has only managed three starts from the nine races, but he has finished in the top ten in each of those races and in the top five in one of them. He's in good form and a driver of his calibre simply cannot be ruled out of winning it.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
Brad Keselowski - (+1400)
Brad Keselowski, who led the most laps in this year’s Daytona 500 (and in 2022’s), stands out as a great value bet.
He followed up his strong performance at Daytona by leading 47 laps at Atlanta before finishing runner-up to Joey Logano, and currently finds himself in 12th place in the driver's standing for the season. From nine starts this season he has managed one top five finish and three top ten finishes, proving he is more than capable of competing at the front of the grid.
While Keselowski’s aggressive driving style can get him in trouble, it’s also necessary to win at tracks like Talladega.
The 39-year-old has made 28 Cup Series starts at Talladega, winning six times, the most of all active full-time drivers, while leading the third-most laps (313). Keselowski famously won in his first Cup Series start here in 2009, and his other victories came in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021.
He also owns the best average finish of all active drivers with at least 20 starts at 15.7. Only three drivers with at least 10 starts, Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., have a higher average finish.
Although he is yet to win a race in his Ford for RFK Racing this season, it shouldn't be a surprise if he finds a way to win this time. He knows the track better than anyone and has been driving really well all season. If he's going to get a win, it'll come this weekend.
