It looks so easy on paper.

Had I wagered fake money on Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin all season, I would have won nearly 50% of the 2012 Sprint Cup races.

At Daytona, this would have seemed out of place. Now, I can’t image doing anything else.

What’s amazing here are the odds for Talladega. It’s normally a crap-shoot. The “Big One” knocks out half the field. But consider the following:

• Who won this race earlier in 2012…Brad Keselowski.
• Who won at this track last year….Jimmie Johnson. 
• What aboutDenny Hamlin’s history….actually, he has none here.

If the Chase has shown us anything, it’s that the wildcards might be wild, but they’re not winning. Oddsmakers disagree. Up a fake 202 dollars after the worst losing streak of my career continued, let’s keep it simple for the sake of entertainment purposes only.

15 fake dollars on Jimmie Johnson at 12/1
I’m that confident. Great at Indi, donkey at Daytona and a winner here. Why not think positive.

15 fake dollars on Brad Keselowski at 12/1
If the Miller Man weren’t driving Dodge, I would pick him to win. Something just seems odd about a manufacturer leaving NASCAR with the title. Ask Bret Hart how that went.

10 fake dollars on Denny Hamlin at 12/1
The third amigo this week.

10 fake dollars on Clint Bowyer at 15/1
Bowyer won here last year and is lingering in the standings. I’ve made dumber moves.

Here’s what The Spread thinks. Enjoy the chaos, watch for the favorites, and insert random catchphrase here.

Dale Earnhardt Jr 10/1
Matt Kenseth 10/1
Kyle Busch 10/1
Jimmie Johnson 12/1
Kevin Harvick 12/1
Brad Keselowski 12/1
Denny Hamlin 12/1
Greg Biffle 15/1
Carl Edwards 15/1
Clint Bowyer 15/1
Tony Stewart 15/1
Jeff Gordon 15/1
Kasey Kahne 15/1
Martin Truex Jr 18/1
Joey Logano 20/1
Jeff Burton 25/1
Jamie McMurray 30/1
Marcos Ambrose 40/1
Paul Menard 40/1
Michael Waltrip 40/1
Trevor Bayne 50/1
Juan Montoya 50/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Kurt Busch 50/1
Sam Hornish Jr 60/1
Regan Smith 75/1
Aric Almirola 75/1
Bobby Labonte 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Dave Blaney 100/1
David Gilliland 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 30/1