NASCAR’s Cup Series features its most unique event of the season on the oval course at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 gets underway at 2:30 p.m. on NBC.
Top NASCAR Value Bets- Bank of America Roval 400
Martin Truex Jr. is a perfect two-for-two in this year’s 10-race Cup Series playoff with Saturday night’s victory at Richmond. Kyle Busch took second as my top-value favorite, and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top three drivers.
The combination of a traditional oval track with the twists and turns of a road course make this Sunday’s race an interesting event to bet on. Using the posted odds to win at 5Dimes online sportsbook, I have come up with a trio of drivers that have the best chance to cash a winning ticket on Sunday at Charlotte.
Top Favorite- Denny Hamlin +880
When Hamlin starts to get hot, it time to jump back on his bandwagon. His third-place finish at Richmond could pave the way for a victory at Charlotte in the third playoff race. The No. 11 Toyota is holding down fifth place in the updated Cup Series standings with 2105 points. This should be enough to advance to the next round of the playoff, but a win would guarantee Hamlin a place in the 12-man field. He has already won four point-race events this season, including victories at Pocono and Bristol. All told, he has 14 runs inside the top five this season which is tied for the most on the board.
The combination of oval racing and a road course suits Hamlin’s style with a third-place finish in this event last season. In general, he has placed inside the top 10 in seven of his last nine races at this venue.
Top Contender- Ryan Blaney +1850
Sitting in 10th place in the standings with 2059 total points has Blaney on the bubble for the next round. He followed up an encouraging fifth-place run at Las Vegas in the first playoff race with a fade to 17th in last week’s race. The No. 12 Ford has little margin for error this Sunday to keep this team’s racing title hope alive. Overall, there are eight Top 5 runs to his credit in the absence of any victories. Two of those runs inside the top five were at Sonoma (3rd) and Watkins Glen (5th) as the two pure road course races on the Cup Series schedule.
Charlotte has not been one of Blaney’s favorite racing venues during his first three seasons racing full time at this level. While this does drain some value from his longer odds as a top contender, I still believe he can be a factor in this Sunday’s race.
Top Longshot- Kurt Busch +2200
Sitting in 15th place with a total of 2039 points, it is safe to say that Busch needs a victory on Sunday to keep his title hopes alive. His first two playoff races driving the No. 1 Chevrolet have been forgettable. A wrecked ended his day early at Las Vegas and last week he slipped 18th in the final standings after starting ninth. His lone victory of the year was at Kentucky as part of five runs inside the top five. He remained competitive at both Sonoma and Watkins Glen before finishing just outside the top 10 in each race.
The main reason I went with Busch as my top longshot other than the added pressure to win this race was a respectable eighth-place finish on the roval at Charlotte in last season’s inaugural run. There is an added weight placed on even a decent finish in this event given just how unique it really is.
