Kevin Harvick predicts NASCAR Cup Series winner at Pocono

Kevin Harvick has been on an absolute tear picking the correct NASCAR Cup Series race winners over the past several weeks. Could he strike it just right again at Pocono this week?

Harvick has picked four of the last five winners on the Cup Series circuit, correctly nailing Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen and Denny Hamlin at Dover, Nashville and Michigan. He has taken a huge lead in the points standings on the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, so his picks at this point should carry significant weight.

Podcast co-host Kaitlyn Vincie, though, threw a wrench in Harvick’s plans for Pocono. She took Hamlin to win off the rip.

Harvick was going to take Hamlin. Instead, he decided to take a moment to shift gears. Co-host Mamba Smith then made his pick.

“Listen, this guy is usually really good here,” Smith said. “He got his first win here. Give me the former champ Ryan Blaney. Give me the 12. He ran fourth there last year. I know this year and last year is very different, but I feel good about it.”

Harvick then shredded Smith for his pick at Pocono. He was floored that anyone would take Blaney given his pit road issues throughout the season.

“So when you go to this Dodge stage, do you actually get to watch the races?” Harvick asked Smith. “I’m just wondering. Like do you watch them? OK, so you’ve actually been watching the races and you’re going to make that pick. I was just wondering. I didn’t know if you’ve been watching.”

Smith had a good laugh, then defended his Pocono pick. After all, the pick ’em game is supposed to be fun for the listeners.

“You know what’s more fun for me?” Smith said. “I could pick the odds-on favorite. I could pick (Tyler) Reddick every week. I could pick Denny and SVG. But what’s more fun for me is coming in here and dunking on you because you keep telling me my pick is dumb and it wins.”

That left only one pick left to make: Harvick’s. He stopped, paused thoughtfully, then gave an interesting one.

“I’m still thinking. I want you to pass [Mamba Smith], so I think your (Denny Hamlin) pick is strong and that would be my first pick,” Harvick told Vincie. “I think I’m going to pick Bubba Wallace. I just think he had a lot better attitude this week, had a good finish, got a little momentum, he’s run well there.”

Vincie immediately voiced her shock at the pick, while Smith offered some encouraging words. Smith noted that Wallace has been better when he’s in a more happy mood, as he seemed to be after Michigan and heading into Pocono.

“He’s way better,” Harvick said. “Happy Bubba, results in speed. It just seemed like he had a little bit more joy in his persona this week.”

Will he win at Pocono? You’ll have to tune in Sunday to find out.