With two races to go in the Race to the Chase before the 10 race playoffs start for NASCAR, the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book has posted some very inviting odds with the 19 eligible drivers. NASCAR has a week off before heading to Atlanta and then unveiling the 12 drivers to make the Chase on tough Richmond.

The action on the futures begins heavy when they are initially released, usually sometime in early December and picks up with a swifter pace from the Daytona 500 through the intense action from all the visitors for the Las Vegas race. The action goes into a lull until right about now, when people have a clearer notion of who looks to be the best before the final 10 races.

The biggest movers in the odds to win over the last 2 months has been Kevin Harvick who was sitting at 12 to 1 despite leading in points. Here we are as the Chase nearly begins and Harvick is still leading comfortably, but now listed at 9 to 2, the second choice to win behind four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson (7-2).

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are 5 to 1 followed by Jeff Gordon – who still is winless this year – at 7 to 1. Everyone else is 10 to 1 or higher after.

As for just the possibility of making the Chase with two races to go, Clint Bowyer (20-1) has a comfortable 100 point lead over Jamie McMurray (75-1), 101 points over Mark Martin (100-1) and 118 point lead over Ryan Newman (100-1). If you think that Bowyer could falter in the final two races, why not take a shot with McMurray who will be treating these final two races as big as the two he’s already won this year, the biggest races of the year at Daytona and the Brickyard.

Overall, I’ll still stick with my initial prediction of Denny Hamlin even though he’s been terrible since Sonoma. As for Atlanta, I’ll be looking for action on Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick.