NASCAR insider puts bet on Team Penske driver as favorite to win 2025 Cup Series playoff race at New Hampshire

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season will next head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the fourth playoff race of the season, the Mobil 1 301. Ahead of the event, NASCAR insider and journalist Bob Pockrass gave his prediction, picking the winner, top-five finishers, and a long-shot winner for the 2025 Mobil 1 301.

Pockrass picked Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney to reach the victory lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 21. Blaney has a decent record at “The Magic Mile,” as he has recorded two top-five and four top-10 finishes to his name in 12 races. The #12 Ford driver will start from the second position in the 36-driver field on Sunday.

Rounding out Pockrass’ top five predictions are William Byron, Denny Hamlin, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, and the defending winner of the event, Christopher Bell. He also chose Carson Hocevar as a long-shot prospect. Hocevar will start from the sixth position.

Pockrass wrote on X:

“Pick for Cup race today at Loudon: Blaney ... top-5: Blaney Byron Hamlin Logano Bell ... longshot: Hocevar”

Ryan Blaney has had an impressive season so far, recording two wins, 12 top-fives, and 16 top-10 finishes in 29 races in the 2025 season, and he will look to clinch his third win of the season. He has an average finish of 14.6 and currently sits in fifth place in the championship points table, seven points behind the leader, Denny Hamlin. He has the fourth-highest odds to win in New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin are also the top favorites to win the Mobil 1 301 in the odds table.

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Kevin Harvick picks JGR driver to win the 2025 NASCAR Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion-turned-commentator, Kevin Harvick, picked Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe as a favorite to win the fourth playoff race at the 1.058-mile “The Magic Mile.”

On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour Podcast,” when his co-host Kaitlyn Vincie asked him to give his prediction for this weekend’s New Hampshire playoff race, Harvick picked the #12 Ford driver and said [53:30]:

“I’m going to pick Chase Briscoe. They, those guys, have been too successful there and had too good a speed with Truex Jr. I just think that they have a lot of momentum from Toyota, their team coming off another good week where they figured it out. I think the #19 gets it done.”

Catch NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams in action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Fans can witness the 301-lap Cup Series race on NBC Sports.