Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series continues on at Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET for the Alsco Uniforms 500. Below, we analyze the Alsco Uniforms 500 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Alsco Uniforms 500: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, May 25 at 6:05 p.m. ET.

It was another really entertaining race Sunday evening at the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte. Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski (+900 for Wednesday’s 500) will be looking for the double-dip sweep in the Queen City, but is he a good bet?

  • Keselowski will start from the 20th position Wednesday, as Sunday’s finishing positions 1-20 will be inverted for the starting grid. His four previous stops at CMS resulted in a 19.3 Average-Finish Position (AFP), so go another way.
  • MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+500) is the Alsco Uniforms 500 favorite. He enters with five straight finishes of sixth or better at Charlotte, including Sunday’s sixth-place result. Eight of his past nine starts at the track have been sixth or better, good for a 4.0 AFP.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing driver KYLE BUSCH (+600), who took fourth at the 600, admitted after Sunday’s race that he “stole a top 5 (finish)” and that his car was maybe a “ninth-place car at best.”  He hasn’t been hitting on all cylinders so far this season, but he has a 3.7 AFP in his past three Charlotte starts.
  • Rookies Christopher Bell (+15000) and Tyler Reddick (+4000) made their Cup debuts Sunday at Charlotte, with Reddick ending up eighth and Bell finishing ninth.

Who is going to win the Alsco Uniforms 500?

Hendrick Motorsports driver CHASE ELLIOTT (+600) was snake-bitten in each of the past two races, and his bettors definitely suffered a bad beat Sunday. Elliott had what seemed to be an insurmountable lead with two laps to go at the 600, but teammate William Byron (+2000) cut a tire, bringing out the caution flag.

Elliott’s crew chief Alan Gustafson followed by making a questionable call, pitting for four tires. So, Elliott didn’t get to restart from the front and couldn’t make up the difference in the two-lap overtime period. He did work his way all the way up to third by the time the checkered flag waved – and actually received a second-place finish when JIMMIE JOHNSON (+900) failed post-race inspection and was disqualified. Byron, by the way, finished 20th, so he will be the pole-sitter on Wednesday night.

But it’s been back-to-back heartbreakers for the No. 9 car.

Elliott was wrecked late at Darlington by Kyle Busch, turning two potential wins in the past two races into nightmare finishes for Elliott and his bettors.

Meanwhile, seven-time champ JOHNSON (+900) looks to be running with renewed vigor, as he looks to snap a 102-race win drought dating back to June 4, 2017 at Dover. He is getting closer, and is worth a small-unit bet at a track he has fared well in the past.


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Kevin Harvick (+900) of Stewart-Haas Racing quietly posted a fifth-place finish Sunday despite the fact it looked like he just didn’t have it. This is a scary sign for the rest of the field, as he and his team have a few days to figure it out.

The better bet than Harvick, however, might be Hendrick’s ALEX BOWMAN (+800). He led 164 laps at the 600 before settling for a 19th-place finish. He proved earlier at the Auto Club 400 in California that he can win races, and he had a runner-up in Darlington in the first race back.

Charlotte Motor Speedway long-shot bets

Reddick and Bell are strong plays based on their top-10 performances Sunday. However, don’t sleep on RICKY STENHOUS JR. (+10000) for a small-unit wager. He was 13th, 10th and 5th in his prior three stops in Charlotte before a 24th-place run Sunday. He has the tools to not just finish high, but win at this track.

A little less risk AUSTIN DILLON (+8000). He won on this track in the 600 back in May 2017. Dillon posted a 14th-place run in Sunday’s race, and is worth a roll of the dice.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday at 6 p.m. ET for the Coca-Cola 600. Below, we analyze the Coca-Cola 600 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Coca-Cola 600: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. ET.

After a pair of exciting races at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Cup Series drivers head up to Charlotte for the longest mileage race of the season. Joe Gibbs Racing’s MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+600) is back to defend his crown after winning the grueling Memorial Day weekend race last season. MTJ has won two of the past three tri-oval races at Charlotte, and three of the past six, including two Coca-Cola 600s. As such, he’ll be a popular betting choice.

  • Same-day qualifying will set the field for the Coca-Cola 600, unlike the two previous Darlington races where practice and time trials/qualifying were eliminated. However, the starting grid for next Wednesday’s Charlotte race will be determined by Sunday’s 600 finishing order, using an inversion of positions 1-20, with the positions 21-40 remaining the same.
  • Truex has three wins with seven top-5 results and 11 top-10 showings with 972 laps led and a 14.07 Average-Finish Position in 27 career starts at Charlotte.
  • The winner of the past three Coca-Cola 600 races has been 14th (Truex), 1st (Kyle Busch) and 22nd (Austin Dillon). Three of the past six Coca-Cola 600 races have been won by the pole sitter, however.
  • Toyota has dominated at Charlotte, winning four of the past five Coca-Cola 600 races.

Who is going to win the Coca-Cola 600?

JGR’s KYLE BUSCH (+400) is the overall favorite at Charlotte, as he looks to return to Victory Lane. Busch has just one career win in 30 starts at the Concord, N.C. track, taking checkers in the 2018 installment of the 600.

Busch trails only Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson in laps led at Charlotte Motor Speedway among active drivers, leading the field for 1,449 laps. Johnson has 1,930 in his 35 starts.

DENNY HAMLIN (+900) picked up a victory in Wednesday’s rain-shortened Darlington race, providing his manufacturer with a win at the Toyota 500. As mentioned above, Toyota has dominated the 600 recently, so Hamlin isn’t a bad play to go back-to-back. In fact, all cars in the JGR stable are solid plays this weekend until someone can knock them from the perch.


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Kevin Harvick (+600) of Stewart-Haas Racing and Joey Logano (+850) of Penske Racing are among the top four favorites along with Busch and Truex. Harvick won the Bank of America 500 back in 2014, but hasn’t won a 600 since the 2013 installment when he started 15th. Logano also has a BoA 500 win under his belt, but has yet to pick up checkers in the 600. If you are picking between the two, Happy’s three-career Charlotte wins and eight top-5 showings with a 15.4 AFP is much more attractive than Logano’s six top-5 placements in 20 career starts with a 12.5 AFP at Charlotte.

Charlotte Motor Speedway long-shot bets

Want to think a little outside of the box and go for a long-shot play? Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+3000) of JTG Daugherty Racing might be worth a roll of the dice. Sure, last Sunday he lasted halfway through Lap 1 at Darlington before an accident, but he’ll put that in the rear-view mirror. His past four starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway have resulted in finishes of 15th, 13th, 10th and 5th, including a 7.5 AFP across his past two 600 starts.

Hendrick’s Alex Bowman (+1200) isn’t exactly a long shot, but anything over +1000 is rather nice when it cashes. He has turned in finishes of ninth and seventh in his past two 600 starts.

Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrecked on the opening lap of NASCAR’s first race back

Well, that was fast.

Well, that was quick. Not even one lap into the first NASCAR race following a 10-week hiatus because of the coronavirus outbreak, a car hit the wall at Darlington Raceway and the caution flag came out.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed on the very first lap of The Real Heroes 400, the Cup Series’ first race since March 8. Darlington’s 1.366-mile track is challenging, abrasive and nicknamed “Too Tough To Tame,” and it seemed likely that rusty drivers might need a minute to get acclimated to their cars — especially with no practice or qualifying.

But Stenhouse and his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet team — which started 22nd — traveled all the way down to the South Carolina track from the Charlotte area to run not even a full lap before having to call it a day.

On the inside of the track, it looked like Stenhouse was running nearly four-wide coming out of Turn 2 when he and another car made contact, which sent the No. 47 car head-first into the inside wall and SAFER barrier. It was a lot of damage to that car, including flames flying out the back, and it brought out the caution flag on Lap 1.

And not long after, the Associated Press‘ Jenna Fryer, one of four reporters at the track, tweeted a photo of Stenhouse’s car headed to the garage. And that was it. His and the team’s day was done before they even completed a single lap.

Following the crash, Stenhouse was evaluated and released from the infield care center, FOX reported during the broadcast.

NASCAR’s next race is Wednesday also at Darlington, followed by the Coca-Cola 600 next Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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NASCAR Betting: Daytona 500 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Daytona 500 sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Monster Energy Cup Series kicks off the 2020 NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon for the Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Daytona 500 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

The weather forecast is always important for NASCAR races, particularly in the early part of the season when the rains are a little more prevalent in the East. The good news is the temperatures will be in the mid-70’s with just a 20%  chance of precipitation for the first Monster Energy Cup Series race, and really the worst day for weather for Speedweeks appears to be Friday. While the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race might be affected Friday night, the Xfinity race Saturday and MENCS race Sunday look to be good to go barring a change to the forecast.

Who is going to win the 2020 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway?

Feb 9, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA;NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Last season’s Daytona 500 winner, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (+1000), as well as Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson (+2000), are the only active drivers with multiple victories at the Daytona 500.

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, Johnson has an 85.3 Driver Rating over his past five starts at DIS, which includes the July summer races, to rank fifth among active drivers while leading 14 laps and running 57.1% of his rotations inside the Top 15.


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If you look at the Loop Data for just the past five Daytona 500 races, Hamlin goes from outside of the Top 10 in Driver Rating for all races, to second. He has a 99.4 Driver Rating over the past five February races at the track while leading a circuit-best 151 laps. He has also run 70.2% of his laps inside the Top 15 in the past five Daytona 500s. Hamlin not only won the 2019 installment of the Great American Race but also the 2016 version, too.

Penske Racing driver Joey Logano (+1000) is actually listed as a co-favorite with Hendrick’s Chase Elliott, Hamlin and JGR’s Kyle Busch (+1000). Logano tops the charts over the past five Daytona 500 starts with a 102.7 Driver Rating while leading 61 laps and running 80.7% of his laps inside the Top 15. He has managed a 4.2 Average-Finish Position (AFP) during the five-race span, too. Logano averaged 161.939 mph in his 2015 victory at Daytona, the fastest average speed since Dale Earnhardt Sr. won Feb. 15, 1998 with an average speed of 172.712 mph.

2020 Daytona 500 longshot bets

Feb 9, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (right) wins pole award and driver Alex Bowman (left) is the runner up during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo – USA TODAY Sports)

JTG Daugherty’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2000) is on the pole for Sunday’s race, the eighth consecutive season a Chevrolet leads the pack out. He’ll be right ahead of Hendrick’s Alex Bowman (+2000), who will be on the outside of Row 1. In the past four Daytona 500 starts, Bowman is closing in on a winner. He has averaged a 1.5 Average-Start Position while registering a 9.5 AFP. That’s good for a 93.4 Driver Rating, so he’ll be one to watch as he looks to earn his first checkered flag in the Great American Race. His best-ever finish in the 500 is 11th, so he’ll be looking to improve upon that dramatically.

Stenhouse leads all drivers with a 95.9 Driver Rating across his past five starts overall at Daytona International Speedway, leading 97 laps. While he isn’t rostered on one of the ‘power’ teams at JTG, he does have a Hendrick motor under his hood, so don’t discount him. Traditionally he has fared well at the superspeedways.

Don’t forget about Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon (+3500), the 2018 winner of this race. In 15 career starts at DIS he leads all active drivers (at least two starts) with a 15.1 AFP with seven Top 10 finishes in 13 starts.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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