The green flag drops on the 2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, but it will do so without four-time winner Jimmie Johnson. The 44-year-old driver and his wife, Chandra, have both tested positive for COVID-19, and even though he has not experienced symptoms, he is not cleared to race on Sunday. Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 48 Chevrolet as Johnson's replacement.
Kevin Harvick is the 7-2 favorite in the latest 2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 odds from William Hill. Denny Hamlin is right behind him at 4-1 in the current 2020 Brickyard 400 odds. Kyle Busch (9-2), Brad Keselowski (9-1) and Joey Logano (12-1) are also among the top favorites in the 2020 NASCAR at Indianapolis starting lineup. With drivers unable to practice or qualify before the race, you'll want to check out the latest 2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 predictions from Micah Roberts, the legendary Vegas bookmaker who pioneered wagering on racing, before locking in any NASCAR picks of your own.
Roberts is among the nation's premier NASCAR betting experts, and his top pick won the first two races of the 2020 season. In the season-opening Daytona 500, he nailed Denny Hamlin's win at 10-1 odds, and he hit eventual winner Logano at 13-2 in the Pennzoil 400 a week later. He also nailed the victory by Hamlin, who wasn't one of the top three favorites, in the Toyota 500 last month.
Roberts also crushed the 2019 NASCAR season. Those who wagered $100 on his predicted winner in each of the 40 NASCAR races last year (an investment of $4,000) finished with a strong profit of $2,100. In addition, those who put down $50 on each of Roberts' top four choices in each of those races (an investment of $8,000) were up a head-turning $3,400. Anyone who has followed his NASCAR picks is up huge year after year.
Now, Roberts has analyzed the field and odds for Sunday's Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400. He's sharing his winner and leaderboard only at SportsLine.
2020 NASCAR at Indianapolis expert predictions
One shocker: Roberts is low on Martin Truex Jr., even though he's one of the top 2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 favorites at 17-2. In fact, Roberts says Truex barely cracks the top 10.
"He's had a lot of poor luck at Indy, particularly the last three seasons with finishes of 27th or worse in what have been his prime years everywhere else," Roberts told SportsLine. "He has only one top-five in 15 starts and a 21st-place average finish at Indy. But what's most concerning is his team's current form: He has one top-five in 10 races using this week's race package."
Another curveball: Roberts is high on Clint Bowyer, a massive 40-1 long shot. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.
"He's part of the Stewart-Haas Racing team that produced fast cars for Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola," Roberts said. "He was eighth or better in the two Pocono races last weekend. He was fifth in the last two Brickyard races."
How to make 2020 NASCAR at Indianapolis picks
Roberts also is high on a double-digit long shot who "is a must-play this week." This driver's team is "stepping up its game and giving him cars capable of winning." Anyone who backs this driver could hit it big. You can only see who it is here.
So who wins the 2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400? And which massive long shot stuns NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected 2020 NASCAR at Indianapolis leaderboard, all from the nation's premier NASCAR handicapper, and find out.
2020 NASCAR at Indianapolis odds (via William Hill)
Kevin Harvick 7-2
Denny Hamlin 4-1
Kyle Busch 9-2
Martin Truex Jr. 17-2
Brad Keselowski 9-1
Joey Logano 12-1
Ryan Blaney 12-1
Chase Elliott 15-1
Erik Jones 22-1
Kurt Busch 28-1
Alex Bowman 30-1
Aric Almirola 30-1
William Byron 35-1
Matt DiBenedetto 40-1
Clint Bowyer 40-1
Jimmie Johnson 50-1
Christopher Bell 75-1
Tyler Reddick 100-1
Ryan Newman 100-1
Austin Dillon 125-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 125-1
Matt Kenseth 125-1
Chris Buescher 300-1
Bubba Wallace 300-1
Cole Custer 300-1
John Hunter Nemechek 1000-1
Ryan Preece 1500-1
Michael McDowell 2000-1
Ty Dillon 2000-1
Daniel Suarez 2500-1
Timmy Hill 5000-1
Brennan Poole 5000-1
Quin Houff 5000-1
J.J. Yeley 5000-1
Corey Lajoie 5000-1
Joey Gase 5000-1
Garrett Smithley 5000-1
