And so we begin a unique period within the world of NASCAR.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced this week that the lights are going dark at the shop when the season ends. SHR has four Cup cars, which means four Cup drivers are in varying degrees of limbo. They should be in full buggy-whip mode going forward.

Now, assume some or all of them eventually land elsewhere with an existing team. The current drivers on those teams will hear the whispers, if they haven't already, and will need to get a little heavier with the right foot going forward.

So expect the usual suspects up and around the lead pack, but don't be surprised to see Ol' What's His Name suddenly appear or reappear after an extended period of time in the mid-pack.

The Gateway Arch will be visible this weekend from the track. Once upon a time, it was considered the gateway to the West. For some drivers, it now signifies a gateway to future job security. Or not.

NASCAR odds for Gateway

(Odds according to Hard Rock Bet)

• +400: Denny Hamlin

• +500: Ryan Blaney

• +750: Joey Logano

• +850: Christopher Bell

• +1000: Martin Truex Jr.

• +1200: Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, William Byron

• +1300: Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson

• +1400: Michael McDowell, Kyle Busch

• +2500: Austin Cindric

• +3000: Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain

• +4000: Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher

• +5000: Alex Bowman

• +10000: Josh Berry

• +15000: Carson Hocevar

• +20000: Daniel Suarez, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe

• +25000: Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, Corey LaJoie, Todd Gilliland

• +50000: Justin Haley, Ryan Preece

• +100000: Harrison Burton, John Hunter Nemechek

• +250000: Derek Kraus Zane Smith

NASCAR best bet this weekend

Ryan: No brainer here: Busch has finished in the top five in both Cup Series races at Gateway and that includes a win last year. He's over 2-to-1 (+210) for a top five this week. I'll take those odds.

Ken: RFK Racing is +650 for the win, with Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher both capable. There are plenty of top-five and top-10 wagers that look solid, but they just don't pay.

Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman worth a look for a Top-10 bet

Ryan: There's no track quite like Gateway, a 1.25-mile, egg-shaped oval with relatively flat but different corners. But, those turns with little banking maybe most closely resemble Phoenix and Martinsville among tracks the Cup Series has visited thus far this year. Briscoe scored a top 10 in both of those races and is +600 to do so again. And with the news of Stewart-Haas shutting down at the end of the year, he may just be auditioning for jobs, so sprinkle a little added motivation in there.

Ken: Bowman is +165 to finish 10th or better. He hasn't finished 11th or worse since mid-April. Somehow, 17 drivers have better top-10 odds than the Showman.

Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney top our top-five-finish list

Ryan: Outside of Busch, the bet I like most is Blaney. He came home in the top five at Martinsville and Phoenix, he has a top five and a pair of top 10s at Gateway and while you won't score big with this one, he is near even money at -125 and that's good enough for me.

Ken: I'd go with Elliott at +5500. Briscoe has shown positive signs this year and he's auditioning for a job, or at least a better contract starting next year, and he's +2250 here. Might sprinkle some his way too.

Fade on Christopher Bell, sure, but Joey Logano and Kyle Busch too?

Ryan: It's a relative fade, but it's last week's winner Christopher Bell for me. He hasn't been awful here, just meh, with finishes of ninth and 11th and nary a lap led. Yet he's fourth on the odds board and that's too high for my liking.

Ken: Buy one, get one. I'd avoid the only two drivers in the field who have won Cup races at Gateway — Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Eventually, they should find their footing on a consistent basis this season, but until further notice, no thanks.

Gateway winner: Expect a first timer or a two timer

Ryan: I like a repeat winner here but while I like Busch for a top 5, give me Logano at +750 for the win. He's finished first and third here, he's been stronger at short tracks that require breaking and he's long overdue.

Ken: Ty Gibbs is sitting there at +1200. He's coming off two weeks of great finishes and laps led. And for what it's worth, what if I told you he won an ARCA race at Gateway? What if I told you he won two?

NASCAR DFS lineup advice: Repeat winners and SHR cars lead the way

• Ryan Blaney ($10,800): Fords have some momentum, Blaney has the best average finish of any driver outside of Logano and Busch and he's led 95 laps here.

• Joey Logano ($9,300): With such a small sample size (just two races), it's hard to go against the guys that have been good. Logano is squarely in that camp.

• Kyle Busch ($8,800): See above.

• Chase Briscoe ($7,400): He's been good at the flat tracks and while the finishes haven't come at Gateway, yet, he won the pole there two years ago.

• Josh Berry ($7,200): Just really like the direction of this team. If you count a third-place showing in the All-Star Race, he has three straight top 10s and six straight top-16 finishes under his belt. Plus that same job-interview type pressure and urgency that Briscoe is carrying.

• Austin Cindric ($6,200): A straight value pick here, but Cindric has been quietly solid in two events at Gateway, finishing 11th and 13th, good enough for the seventh-best average finish among active drivers. Another finish in that neighborhood at this price would be fantastic.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR odds today: Best bets, picks, predictions, DFS lineup tips