Michigan brings back NASCAR Cup Series action this weekend as they host the FireKeepers Casino 400! It was an eventful weekend in Richmond, Virginia last week. The winner is a car that won’t reap the benefits of the playoffs and was a longshot bet to begin with. The option tires were a fun twist, but all in all, it was a Richmond race. Michigan has the potential to be much more fun and action-packed this week. These cars can generate serious speed, and we saw plenty of action in last year’s visit.
So let’s just get right to it. Here are the official picks of the 2024 FireKeepers Casino 400 from BellyUp Racing!
Chris’s Picks: #17 Chris Buescher (+1400) & #54 Ty Gibbs (+2000)
Embed from Getty ImagesMinus his win last year, Michigan hasn’t been great for Chris. However, with the odds he’s sitting at right now. I like this choice. Chris needs a win to secure his playoff spot, especially considering the scare Austin Dillon put on them. Not to mention the appeals process as well. Either way, Chris also finished 11th recently at Pocono which is flatter than Michigan but speed-wise is close. Not to mention his earlier performance at Kansas this season finishing second. Chris is a safer, long shot if you want to call him that.
I touched on Ty yesterday evening when I joined Vince and Kaleb over on the latest episode of The Sports Stove Podcast. Ty is another motivated driver. Or you would hope he is considering how this whole Austin Dillon scenario plays out appeals-wise. He needs to win to lock himself into the playoffs and Michigan hasn’t been horrible in his brief Cup Series runs. He’s finished 11th last year and 10th in ’22. JGR is a competitive team and it’s time for Ty to show us what we’ve all seen him do in the Xfinity Series many times before.
Kaleb’s Picks: #6 Brad Keselowski (+1100) & #20 Christopher Bell (+1000)
Embed from Getty ImagesFord has won nine of the last ten races here at Michigan Speedway, and Brad Keselowski has been one of the top fords this year. He’s got the win at Darlington earlier this year, and he has an average finish in the top 15. At Michigan specifically, in two of the last three races at this track, he’s been inside the top 10, including a P4 last season. Finishing P4 and P3 in the stages. I like team RFK as a whole, and I’d take them both at their odds respectively if I could. But the team owner should deliver here at Michigan once again.
As for Christopher Bell, I just think he’s been super consistent. He was the fastest car on track last week at Richmond before a speeding penalty. At Indianapolis, he finished P4. The #20 car has three wins on the season and seven top fives and is more often than not in the top 10. At Michigan last year, he and Alex Bowman made contact after they both had speed and it ruined their day, but he scraped together a P12. In 2022, Bell won stage one, and finished P4 in stage two, but wrecked out and finished P26. I like Bell to be a T-5 car here in Michigan for the first time, and as usual, he should be a threat to win.
Chris’s Fade: #19 Martin Truex Jr (+800)
Embed from Getty ImagesThis one looks a little suspicious to me as well. His odds are good, recent trips to Michigan have been great. Considering he has seven straight top-ten finishes. However, there are better options I think this week with way more rewarding odds if you win. Plus Martin is riding a rough streak right now. Grabbing a DNF at Richmond and 27th place finish at Indianapolis before the break. Bad performances whether his fault or not can get into a driver’s head. I’m staying away from MTJ this weekend and will probably pay for it but either way, someone has to land here.
Kaleb’s Fade: #45 Tyler Reddick (+850)
Embed from Getty ImagesUnlike his fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell, Reddick has never cracked the top 25 here at Michigan. He finished P30 last year, and P29 the year before that after starting sixth due to an engine issue. Reddick has been unquestionably one of the hottest drivers in NASCAR over the past few months, but I don’t like the odds enough to say he’ll get it together this time. The FireKeepers Casino 400 probably isn’t the spot for Reddick to pick up his second win of the year. However, I’d eye him at Darlington in the regular season finale in a few weeks.
If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebMcChesney! Also, read up on the rest of the NASCAR content Belly Up Sports has to offer here! Heck, for all your other sports needs, follow the main page. If you love racing of any shape or form, find Chris on Twitter, and let’s talk!
