The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway Sunday for the 2023 Highpoint.com 400. The green flag is set to drop shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET (USA Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook lines around the 2023 Highpoint.com 400 odds, and make our expert NASCAR picks and predictions.
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2023 Highpoint.com 400: What you need to know
- Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott picked up a win last summer at the “Tricky Triangle” and he has 4 top-5 finishes and 67 laps led with a 14.1 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in 13 Cup starts at the track
- Elliott’s teammate, William Byron, has never won at Pocono. However, he has 2 top-5 runs, 5 top-10 finishes, 70 laps led and he leads all active drivers with a 9.4 AFP in 9 Cup starts
- Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with 6 victories at Pocono, while positng 14 top-5 finishes, 21 top-10 runs, 818 laps led and an 11.8 AFP in 33 Cup starts
- JGR’s Martin Truex Jr., who won in New Hampshire on Monday, has picked up checkers twice in his career at Pocono, while posting a 14.5 AFP in 33 Cup starts
- Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch is 2nd to Hamlin among active drivers with 4 wins in his 35 Cup starts with a 15.7 AFP
- Team Penske’s Austin Cindric struggled in his 1st Cup run at Pocono last season, posting a 31st-place finish
- Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has had a rough time over the years at Pocono, with no finishes in the Top 10 in his 19 Cup starts
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2023 Highpoint.com 400 – Expert picks
Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:15 a.m. ET.
CHASE ELLIOTT (+1600) is the defending champ at this track, and he is a strong value with the 10th-shortest odds on the board.
He has the win last July, 4 top-5 finishes and 8 top-10 results while leading 67 laps with just 1 DNF in his 13 career Cup starts at the track. He is a strong bet as he searches for that playoff-clinching 1st checkered flag of the season.
If you like to be a little more conservative, ELLIOTT TOP-10 FINISH (-160) is still not priced out of line at FanDuel Sportsbook.
If you prefer to play it a little safer, DENNY HAMLIN (+800) has always been money at the track. You can’t go wrong with the No. 11, if you’re not as risky.
2023 Highpoint.com 400 – Long shot
It’s hard to ignore CHRIS BUESCHER (+6600) at this price point. He picked up a victory at Pocono in August 2016 at the track, which was his 1st-ever Cup Series victory.
Buescher has had mixed results in Long Pond over the years, finishing inside the Top 10 on just 2 occasions in 13 Cup runs. He has a rather mediocre 20.8 AFP. Even BUESCHER TOP-10 FINISH (+240 at FanDuel Sportsbook) for a chance to more than double up isn’t a bad play.
2023 Highpoint.com 400 – Prop picks and bets
Looking at the head-to-head race props at FanDuel Sportsbook, there are several solid values.
In a battle of former teammates, and a battle of former multiple winners at the track, DENNY HAMLIN (-118) over Kyle Busch is a strong play. Hamlin leads all active drivers with 6 checkered flags in Long Pond.
I also love ALEX BOWMAN (-108) over Daniel Suarez in another H2H play. Yes, Suarez has a 15.0 AFP in 11 career Cup starts, which is slightly better than Bowman, who has a 17.9 AFP in 13 Cup tries at a triangle. But Bowman also won in June 2021 at the track, and he has finished in the Top 10 on 4 occasions, while leading 34 laps.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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