Tag: William Byron

Pocono 350 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Pocono 350 at Pocono Raceway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series is back at the Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 350. The green flag drops Sunday at 4:20 p.m. ET with the race televised on FOX. Below, we analyze the Pocono 350 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Pocono 350: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 5 a.m. ET.

The NASCAR boys just ran on the track Saturday in the first doubleheader weekend in Cup Series history. Stewart Haas driver Kevin Harvick streaked to victory, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin by a few car lengths.

  • Leavine Family Racing driver Christopher Bell and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell showed Saturday that the little guys can compete, especially in these shorter-length races. The rookie Bell had a tremendous Cup debut at the “Tricky Triangle,” racing his way to fourth place, while McDowell finished eighth.
  • Toyota’s streak of five consecutive Pocono victories was snapped Saturday with Harvick’s win. Ford now has three wins in the past eighth Pocono runs, while Chevrolet hasn’t been to victory in Long Pond since the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 in the Spring 2016 race.
  • Lucky Nine? Harvick started in the ninth position Saturday and raced to the win, while Hamlin won from the ninth starting spot last July at Pocono. Penske Racing’s Ryan Blaney (+1200 for Sunday’s race) starts ninth in the 350.
  • Aric Almirola (+1600) recorded a third-place finish Saturday, his highest finish in a Cup car during a Pocono start. His previous best was seventh, set during the Spring ’18 run.

Who is going to win the Pocono 350?

HAMLIN (+500) was my top pick for Saturday’s race, and he was just edged out by Harvick. Hamlin could have used some lapped traffic to disrupt Happy’s flow, but it just never came into fruition and the No. 11 had to settle for runner-up.

Hamlin is 12th or better in seven of his past eight Pocono starts, including a win last July, and the runner-up showing on Saturday. He was the top finishing Toyota in Saturday’s race.

KYLE BUSCH (+550) was unable to pick up the checkered flag Saturday, but still has three wins in his past six Pocono starts. He ended up in fifth place Saturday, which isn’t too shabby. In fact, Rowdy has placed inside the top 10 in eight consecutive starts at the “Tricky Triangle” since a disastrous 31st-place showing in the Spring ’16 start.

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MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+1000) made his presence felt with a solid sixth-place run, giving JGR three cars – joining Hamlin and Kyle Busch – in the top six positions. Truex was third in last season’s summer race, and has been sixth or better in five of his past seven Pocono starts. At this price (+1000), TRUEX IS A VERY GOOD VALUE.

Pocono Raceway long-shot bets

BELL (+6500) turned in a fourth-place showing in his Pocono Cup debut Saturday, so he has to be on the radar of bettors at this price as we eagerly wait to see what he can do for an encore. Even if he falls a few positions, you can scoop him up and RING THAT BELL AT +310 FOR A TOP-10 FINISH.

WILLIAM BYRON (+2200) had a solid 14th-place showing Saturday, setting him up to start from the seventh spot in Sunday’s grid. He has a solid 10.2 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in five career Cup starts at the Pennsylvania tri-oval, so keep an eye on the No. 24 car. If you’re not feeling him for checkers, but perhaps to place inside the top 10, he is just about even-money at +105.

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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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Pocono Organics 325 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Pocono Organics 325 at Pocono Raceway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Pocono Raceway for the Pocono Organics 325 in partnership with Rodale Institute. The green flag drops Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET with the race televised on FOX. Below, we analyze the Organics 325 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Pocono Organics 325: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 26 at 8:20 a.m. ET.

Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway will take place as a part of a two-day, four-race card in Long Pond, Pa. Saturday kicks off with the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid, a Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then our Pocono Organics race follows. Sunday will feature the Xfinity Series’ Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Cup Series’ Pocono 350 at 4 p.m.

  • Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (+800 for Saturday’s race) won the July race at Pocono last season, starting from the ninth position. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, he has averaged a 105.1 Driver Rating at Pocono Raceway since 2005 to lead the circuit.
  • Toyota has rattled off five consecutive victory at Pocono, all from the JGR stable of cars, including three checkered flags going to Kyle Busch (+500).
  • Kyle Busch was the last driver to win from the pole position at the Overton’s 400 during the July ’17 race at Pocono. He is the only driver in the past 13 starts to win from the pole in the shadows of the twin spires in Pennsylvania.
  • Erik Jones (+2000) is the only current JGR driver who hasn’t won at Pocono in the Cup series, but he leads all active drivers with an 8.3 Average-Finish Position, including four top-5 runs, in six career starts.

Who is going to win the Pocono Organics 325?

HAMLIN (+800) has been super consistent over the years at this track, rattling off five wins, 11 top-5 results and 18 top-10 showings with 726 laps led and an 11.96 AFP in 28 career starts. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota has finished 20th or better in 22 of his 28 outings at the track, too.

Hamlin is 12th or better in six of his past seven Pocono starts, including a win last July.

KYLE BUSCH (+500) has three wins in the previous five starts at Pocono, and he has been ninth or better in each of his past seven outings. He has posted a 100.7 Average Driver Rating since ’05 at the track, third among all active drivers. While he has five DNFs in 30 career starts, or roughly 16.7 percent of his starts, he is the one to beat at Pocono lately.

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BRAD KESELOWSKI (+800) is the best bet among non-Toyota cars. The Penske Racing driver hasn’t won at Pocono since the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 in August 2011, starting in a Dodge from the 13th position. While that was a while ago – and Dodge is no longer associated with the sport – he has been eighth or better in eight of his past nine starts with three runner-up finishes and one DNF.

Pocono Raceway long-shot bets

WILLIAM BYRON (+2000) has just four Cup starts under his belt at the three-turn Pennsylvania track. He has been a quick study, however, finishing sixth in the July ’18 race, ninth in the June ’19 run and fourth in the July ’19 outing. Overall, he has a 9.3 AFP in his four Cup starts, making him worth a small-unit investment.

ERIK JONES (+2000) is another young driver who has really turned heads in the early part of his career. In six Pocono starts he has been eighth or better in five of the outings, including three finishes inside the top 3. Jones was a runner-up last July to his teammate Hamlin, and his 8.3 AFP over the past 10 Pocono races is the best among all active drivers.

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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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.

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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NASCAR driver William Byron got his start in iRacing, which has ‘come full circle now’

For The Win spoke with rising NASCAR star William Byron about the competition and culture of the virtual racing world.

NASCAR driver William Byron knows the iRacing world better than most — if not all — of the drivers currently competing online while the COVID-19 pandemic has the real-life season on hold.

When some drivers’ racing roots go back to go-karts or two wheels or dirt, the 22-year-old driver of the iconic No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet got his start in the virtual racing world, highlighting the rare but conceivable route of turning simulation racing into a career on an actual track. And because of that, Byron is regularly a favorite to win in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition series started while the regular NASCAR season is postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

And after leading the most laps in the first two races of the Pro Invitational Series but finishing empty-handed, Byron led 116 of 150 laps and took the checkered flag in the third event, which was two weekends ago at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway.

He’s also a favorite to win the next virtual event Sunday at Richmond Raceway (1 p.m. ET) — where NASCAR would have competed in real life this weekend — and said that with not much else to do, he’s been on iRacing at least an hour every day.

William Byron does a burnout on the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway in this computer-generated in-game image. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

After the motor sports world moved entirely online, iRacing is now in the spotlight with NASCAR’s exhibition races even being broadcast on FOX and FS1. So For The Win spoke with Byron this week about his return to virtual racing and the culture of online competition.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Does all this focus on iRacing right now take you back to some good ol’ days?

It does, yeah, definitely. It’s how I got started, so it’s crazy to see it come full circle now. It’s definitely different because it’s taken on a new meaning and a serious meaning.

Because technology advances so rapidly, is iRacing now comparable at all to what you did growing up? Has it changed much, or is it still fairly similar?

It has changed quite a bit. There’s a lot of things that they’ve added since my first time on the sim. They’ve changed the tire wear — like the heat of the tires and the way they build air pressure and wear out differently based on how you drive the car. The aerodynamic properties of the car have gotten a lot different and a lot more in-tune with what they really are. So those things have changed quite a bit, which I think has really changed the game for us.

How would you describe the online culture of iRacing? Aside from not interacting with people face-to-face, how is it different from real life?

I think honestly there’s some differences in the culture online because everyone can talk to each other, and that’s much different than, obviously, what we normally work with.

But there’s also a lot of similarities in the way that the racing is online because the code of conduct that iRacing has is very similar to the real-life code of conduct. So it’s honestly not all that different.

Is there more trash talking because you can talk to each other?

I would say so. There’s the ability to have that for sure, and that’s definitely unique. Everyone can talk on the chat at the same time, so there’s more discussion back and forth between people than in real life when you can’t talk to the other people out there.

Is it ongoing conversation, or are you concentrating the whole time?

During green flag [runs], there’s not really much talking. But during the cautions, people talk back and forth.

Can you compare the competition in real life to iRacing or is that not fair?

I think honestly there’s more quality competition just because everyone has access to the same resources, so I think it makes the races really close and competitive. Obviously, real racing is very competitive, and there’s a lot there. But I think there are a lot of people on iRacing that are super competitive and a lot of equal abilities.

How would you describe the intensity of your rig on a scale of Denny Hamlin to a folding chair and a laptop?

Mine’s a middle ground between a Timmy Hill setup and a Denny Hamlin setup I would say. Over the years, I’ve learned what I need and sim seats, who does my simulator setup, they do a good job of building some good, quality rigs that are also not too elaborate.

Is there a virtual track you like to race on that you haven’t gotten to in real life?

I would say Montreal in Canada. That’s a really cool track. It’s a road course. I think it’d really be they used to race XFINITY cars there, so that’s a track I’d love to race on that I’ve ran laps at virtually.

What’s your favorite car to drive in iRacing?

Honestly, my favorite thing recently has been the sprint cars because those things are really, really fun to drive. They’re difficult. The dirt racing’s been a lot of fun to work with and drive.

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NASCAR: William Byron, Ryan Blaney to run special paint scheme to honor Kobe Bryant

The No. 24 and No. 12 cars will be purple and gold for Sunday’s race in California.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to California this weekend for the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, an hour east of Los Angeles, and the sport will pay tribute to Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and the seven other victims of the tragic helicopter crash in various ways at Auto Club Speedway. Bryant’s number 24 will reportedly be painted on the infield grass at the track, and the names of the victims will be read during pre-race ceremonies.

Two drivers, William Byron and Ryan Blaney, will run special paint schemes to honor the victims. Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, will race this weekend with a special purple-and-gold scheme.

Hendrick Motorsports announced that Axalta will make a donation to After-School All-Stars, an organization Bryant was involved with, and that proceeds from the sale of die-cast cars will be donated as well.

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 BODYARMOR Ford for Team Penske, will also race with a purple-and-gold scheme that features Gianna’s No. 2 and Bryant’s No. 24 on the car.

Driver Daniel Suarez will also wear special gloves and shoes during the race to honor the victims.

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NASCAR Betting: Pennzoil 400 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon for the Pennzoil 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Pennzoil 400 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

The weather won’t be a problem like it was in Daytona last weekend, when a surprise rain storm ended up pushing the race to Monday. The haulers had one less day to travel across the country, subsequently canceling the mid-week hauler parade down The Strip, but the cars and drivers will be ready to go Sunday with no interruptions.

Who is going to win the 2020 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The winner of the most recent Cup race at Vegas, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. (+550), is among the favorites at this race. Only Vegas-born driver and teammate Kyle Busch (+500) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (+500) have shorter odds.

MTJ has posted two wins in 16 career starts in Vegas, with five top-5 showings and eight top-10 finishes with a 10.9 Average-Finish Position (AFP). He’ll be a very popular selection this weekend. Truex also tops the charts with a 123.8 Driver Rating across the past five starts in Vegas, according to NASCAR’s Loop Data. Busch has a win in 17 career starts, posting nine top-10 showings and a 12.7 AFP.

New to sports betting? A successful $10 wager on Truex to win would return a profit of $55.

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Penske Racing driver Joey Logano (+700) will also be a pick many gravitate toward, as he has a 5.0 AFP and 116.8 Driver Rating across his past five starts at LVMS while running a circuit-best 95.4 percent of his laps inside the Top 15 during the impressive span. He also has eight consecutive top-10 showings at the track.

Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski (+600) is also a solid play, as he has three straight finishes of third or best at Vegas, including a win. He is a nice selection to finish in the Top 3 (+150).

2020 Pennzoil 400 longshot bets

Keselowski and Logano’s teammate, Ryan Blaney (+2000), kicked off his 2020 campaign with a second-place run at Daytona. He heads into this one with a 95.6 Driver Rating over the past five Vegas starts while posting an 8.8 AFP. He has finished seventh or better in five of his past six starts at the track, too, including three top-5 showings in the previous four.

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (+2500) and Alex Bowman (+3000) finished in the Top 10 in the second Vegas race last season, with Byron seventh and Bowman sixth. Those two are worth a small-unit bet with rather moderate odds. Tossing a little change on their veteran teammate, seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson (+3000) is also worth a shot. He has four career wins at Vegas to lead all active drivers, and he is 12th or better in seven of his past 10 starts at the track.

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

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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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