M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 Power Rankings and Picks

LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – JULY 17: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17, 2022 in Loudon, New Hampshire. James Gilbert/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by James Gilbert / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Analyzing the field and key drivers to watch for in advance of Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway with our NASCAR power rankings and predictions for the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400.

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season is down to just six races, with the first being held this weekend at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Known as the “Tricky Triangle,” Pocono Raceway will host the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 on Sunday.

After a long absence, NASCAR will only be hosting one race at Pocono this year. Luckily, there is an abundance of driver stats and past results available for bettors to analyze. However, with the debut of the Next Gen Car at the Tricky Triangle, it is uncertain how relevant past data will be. It is recommended to use a combination of in-season momentum and historical stats to handicap Sunday’s race effectively.

Explore our NASCAR betting predictions and power rankings for the 2022 M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway, featuring odds from DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars.

M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 Race Odds

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M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 NASCAR Power Rankings

10. Brad Keselowski (+6600 via BetMGM)

Brad Keselowski’s inaugural season as a driver-owner at RFK Racing has not met expectations, but he showed promise with a seventh-place finish last week. In his previous ten races at Pocono with Team Penske, Keselowski achieved five top-5 finishes and eight top-10 finishes.

9. Bubba Wallace (+3000 via DraftKings)

After finishing third at New Hampshire last weekend, Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR betting odds have seen a significant change.

Despite Wallace’s lackluster performance at Pocono in the past, his team, 23XI Racing, achieved impressive finishes of 14th and fifth in last year’s doubleheader. It would be unwise to underestimate Wallace’s potential to secure a spot in the playoffs through a victory in the upcoming races.

8. Ross Chastain (+1000 via DraftKings)

Despite not having any notable stats at the Cup Series level at Pocono, Ross Chastain must still be included in the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 power rankings due to his outstanding performance in the 2022 season. With two wins and ten top-5 finishes, Chastain has had a remarkable year compared to other drivers.

7. Martin Truex Jr. (+1000 via DraftKings)

Martin Truex Jr. dominated last weekend by winning all the stages and appearing to have the best car for most of the race. However, a two-tire pit stop in the middle of the final stage drastically changed the handling of his car.

Truex finished in fourth place and is now in urgent need of a win to secure his spot in the playoffs. Luckily, he is racing at one of his hometown tracks where he has achieved three top-10 finishes and only one finish outside of the top 11 in his last five starts.

6. Ryan Blaney (+1200 via Caesars)

The 2022 NASCAR season has been incredibly unpredictable with a variety of winners. Despite sitting third in the points standings, Ryan Blaney’s playoff spot is not guaranteed as he has not secured a victory yet.

In recent years, the No. 12 team has performed strongly at Pocono. Blaney emerged victorious in 2017 and has consistently been among the top-12 finishers in eight out of the last ten races.

5. Denny Hamlin (+800 via DraftKings)

With the possibility of reaching 16+ different race winners, Denny Hamlin stands out for having two wins. The No. 11 team has struggled with consistency this season, as last week’s sixth-place finish was only Hamlin’s fifth top-10 of the year. Surprisingly, Hamlin has the same number of top-10 finishes in his last six races at Pocono, where he has also secured two wins.

4. Kyle Busch (+750 via BetMGM)

Kyle Busch, who finished second and first in last year’s Pocono doubleheader, is now the favorite in NASCAR betting for the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400. With four wins in the last ten races at the track, Busch has consistently finished in the top 10 in all but one of those starts.

If we exclude the one DNF result from 2020, his average finish in the remaining nine races is an impressive 3.5.

3. Kevin Harvick (+1200 via BetMGM)

Following last week’s race, Kevin Harvick finds himself 68 points behind the playoff cutline. Interestingly, his No. 4 team decided to take the same pit strategy as Martin Truex Jr., the driver currently ahead of him in the standings. Harvick’s best option now is to secure a win, with Sunday’s race presenting one of his top opportunities. With a victory in 2020 and an impressive 5.5 average finish in his last ten races at the Tricky Triangle, Harvick has a strong track record at the upcoming event.

2. Kyle Larson (+800 via DraftKings)

A year ago, Kyle Larson was poised to win at Pocono until a blown tire in the final turn on the last lap dashed his hopes. Despite the setback, he was able to nurse his car to a ninth-place finish and also finished as the runner-up in the second half of the doubleheader weekend.

The No. 5 team in 2022 has not displayed the same level of dominance. It is important to mention that four races have gone by since Larson’s wheel incident at Sonoma. As a result, crew chief Cliff Daniels will be returning to the pit box on Sunday.

1. Chase Elliott (+800 via DraftKings)

It’s a no-brainer that Chase Elliott is the top choice in this week’s NASCAR betting race power rankings. He is currently the hottest driver in the Cup Series leading up to Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400. In the last four races, Elliott has won twice and finished second twice. While he may not have the same impressive Pocono stats as other drivers on the list, he has managed to secure two top-5 finishes in the last six races.

Where to Bet on the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400.

These are our highest-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Underscoreg Caesars Underscoreg DraftKings Underscoreg PointsBet BetMGM

Check out UnderscoregReview.com’s community forums and betting tools for all picks, odds, and sports betting news.

M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 selections were finalized on 7/22/2022 at 1:49 p.m. ET.

Written By:
Jenkins Miriam

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.