The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) on Sunday for the 2023 Pennzoil 400. Green flag is scheduled to drop shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX). Below we analyze at Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the 2023 Pennzoil 400 odds, and make our NASCAR picks and predictions.
2023 Pennzoil 400: What you need to know
- Penske Racing’s Joey Logano claimed the Busch Light Pole Award at LVMS with a lap time of 29.024 seconds and a best speed of 186.053 in qualifying on Saturday.
- Logano won last October’s run at LVMS, his 3rd win at the track in the last 8 Cup starts. He leads all active drivers with an 8.5 Average-Finish Position (AFP) with 7 top-5 runs, and 12 top-10 finishes in 19 career Cup races.
- Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron was just on his heels with a 29.165-second time, joining Logano on the front row to start Sunday’s race. Byron has never won in Vegas, and he has just a single top-5 run and a 17.8 AFP in 10 Cup starts.
- Las Vegas native Kyle Busch, who won at Auto Club Speedway last weekend, has a win, 11 top-5 runs and 311 laps led with a 10.8 AFP in 23 career Cup starts at his home track.
- 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace has a lone top-10 finish in 10 career Cup starts, posting a dismal 24.7 AFP with 2 DNFs.
- Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece has struggled mightily at Vegas, posting a 25.2 AFP in 6 career Cup starts, with a highest finish of 15th and 1 DNF.
- Logano (3x), Brad Keselowski (3x), Kevin Harvick (2x) and Martin Truex Jr. (2x) are the only multiple winners at Vegas in the active field.
- Hendrick’s Chase Elliott suffered a fractured tibia in a snowboarding accident in Colorado, and he is sidelined indefinitely after surgery. Josh Berry will step behind the wheel of the No. 9 Chevrolet for HMS.
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2023 Pennzoil 400 – Expert pick(s)
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 11:17 p.m. ET.
It’s hard not to like JOEY LOGANO (+550) based on his past history at the track. Yes, it’s a little hacky to bet the chalk, but the driver of the No. 22 Ford machine has won 3 times in the last 8 Cup starts at Las Vegas, and Team Penske just seems to perform above and beyond expectations on a routine basis at Vegas, which has been a desert oasis for the group.
If you don’t like Logano, the next best bet might be JGR’s DENNY HAMLIN (+1500), who is a much bigger value. Of course, he also comes with a little more risk. The No. 11 has been to Victory Lane once in 22 career Cup starts here, while leading 359 laps. He also has 2 DNFs with 11 top-10 finishes with 12.9 AFP.
2023 Pennzoil 400 prop pick
TOP-10 FINISH: KEVIN HARVICK (+125)
Happy didn’t pan out in California last weekend, but Harvick was still in the mix for most of the afternoon.
He is one of a handful of multi-winners at LVMS, and he heads into the race with a 13.7 AFP in 27 career Cup starts while leading the pack in 679 laps, tops among all drivers in the field. He has had 13 top-10 finishes, too. A win isn’t a likely outcome for the No. 4, but a top-10 finish should certainly be within his sights.
AND KEEP AN EYE ON JOSH BERRY
Berry steps behind the wheel of the No. 9 Chevrolet vacated by Elliott due to injury. It’s a giant spot for the young driver, and it remains to be seen if he can handle the pressures of stepping into the big time. Still, it’s worth a roll of the dice seeing that he will be in top-notch equipment, giving him a tremendous chance to be on a level playing field with the big boys. You can’t go to Vegas and not take a flier on a long-shot bet, right?
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