NASCAR at New Hampshire 2022: Odds, Preview and Top Storylines

Time is running out for the NASCAR Cup Series drivers without a win this season to secure spots in the playoff field.

Sunday's Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marks another opportunity for Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and others without a victory in 2022 to join the 13 drivers already locked into the field.

Harvick appears to have the best chance to land in the playoff because of his recent history in New England.

The No. 4 car driver owns wins in three of the last seven trips to New Hampshire. Stewart-Haas Racing has four wins in that span. Aric Almirola enters as the race's reigning champion.

Winning in New Hampshire will not be an easy task for Harvick and those in search of their first wins since Chase Elliott is heating up with the playoffs in sight.

In the last three races, Elliott won at Nashville and Atlanta and finished second behind Tyler Reddick at Road America.

Reddick will have more eyes on him this weekend after he announced his deal with 23XI Racing that begins in 2024. Reddick locked himself into the playoff field with a win at Road America, and he could drive looser with his long-term future settled.

Ambetter 301 Odds

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford, Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, and Chase Briscoe, driver of the #14 Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Ryan Blaney (+600; bet $100 to win $600)

Joey Logano (+700)

Kyle Busch (+700)

Denny Hamlin (+800)

Martin Truex Jr. (+800)

Chase Elliott (+900)

Ross Chastain (+1000)

Kyle Larson (+1200)

Kevin Harvick (+1400)

Christopher Bell (+1800)

Chase Briscoe (+2000)

Tyler Reddick (+2000)

William Byron (+2000)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Will the 14th Winner of the Season Emerge at New Hampshire?

Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 10: NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kurt Busch (45) race side by side during the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart on July 10, 2022 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Thirteen of the 16 NASCAR Cup Series playoff spots have been filled by winners on this season's circuit.

Three automatic qualification spots are still open for racers to fill over the next seven races.

New Hampshire could give us a new winner for the season because of the recent history of some drivers and the unpredictability that unfolded there in 2021.

Kevin Harvick is a three-time winner at the track, Christopher Bell has three Xfinity Series wins there and Aric Almirola emerged as a surprise winner last year in the Cup Series.

In fact, the last four Cup Series races at New Hampshire were won by drivers that do not have a win in 2022. Brad Keselowski captured the checkered flag there in 2020.

Keselowski's former Penske Racing teammate Ryan Blaney is the pre-race favorite for the Ambetter 301. Blaney has the most points of the non-winners, but he could feel certain about his playoff hopes by clinching a victory.

Blaney, Joey Logano and Keselowski all finished inside the top five in Penske cars last season at New Hampshire behind Almirola and Bell. Harvick came in sixth place.

Martin Truex Jr., who took third at New Hampshire in 2020, is also on playoff watch since his spot could come under threat if a 14th, 15th or 16th winner emerges on the circuit in the next seven races.

The recent results at New Hampshire for some of the drivers in need of victories suggest we could have a new winner come from the field on Sunday, or we could see more of the same dominance from Chase Elliott.

Can Chase Elliott Keep Up Dominant Run?

David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 10: Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet) raves through Turn 4 during the 53rd Annual Quaker State 400 NASCAR race on July 10, 2022 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Chase Elliott made a compelling case to be the Cup Series title favorite over the last three races.

The No. 9 car driver took first at Nashville and Atlanta. He finished second behind Tyler Reddick at Road American in an event that he could have won.

Elliott is in the best form of any driver in the Cup Series, and he has some of the best equipment behind him at Hendrick Motorsports.

A Hendrick car has not placed above seventh at each of the last two Cup Series races at New Hampshire, but that can change on Sunday if Elliott keeps up his recent form.

Three regular-season victories, six top fives and 13 top 10s have helped put Elliott on top of the points standings.

Elliott should have the regular-season title in his sights because he has been at the front of the field at most races this season.

Although Hendrick's recent history at New Hampshire is not great, Elliott has two top 10 finishes in his last four starts on the New England track.

Elliott is not the pre-race favorite, like he has been in previous weeks, and he could be worth a bet at +120 to finish inside the top 10 in case he drives well but fails to win.

How Does Tyler Reddick Respond to Deal with 23XI Racing?

James Gilbert/Getty Images

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - JULY 10: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem Toyota, Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Wabash Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 10, 2022 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Tyler Reddick set his long-term future this week by announcing a deal with 23XI Racing that starts in 2024.

Reddick has one more full season to complete at Richard Childress Racing before he joins the team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.

The clarity over Reddick's future could help him drive looser at New Hampshire and for the rest of the season.

The No. 8 car driver earned a spot in the playoffs by winning at Road America, which was his first career Cup Series win.

Reddick owns three top-10 finishes in his last eight starts, but some of the other results have not been great. He was 35th at Sonoma, 18th at Nashville and 29th at Atlanta.

Reddick could use a solid result at New Hampshire to set the tone for the run up to the playoffs and to prove why he was worth the new deal with 23XI Racing.

He also needs a strong performance in New England to gain as many points as possible in the playoff race.

There is still a small chance that four new winners emerge on the Cup Series circuit and the 16-driver playoff field is determined by points. Reddick sits in the bottom half of the top 16 in points, and one bad result could hurt his spot if the worst-case scenario comes to fruition.

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