There are just two more races left in NASCAR’s Cup Series regular-season schedule starting with this Sunday night’s Bojangles Southern 500. All the racing action from Darlington Raceway is set to get underway at 6 p.m. with NBC Sports Network carrying the race nationally.
Bojangles Southern 500 Top NASCAR Value Bets
Heading into last weekend’s break in the Cup Series schedule, I cashed in big at Bristol two weeks ago with Denny Hamlin winning the Night Race as my +1320 top-valued contender. He edged out Matt DiBenedetto with Brad Keselowski rounding out the top three drivers.
Ahead of this Sunday’s Cup Series race, 5Dimes Sportsbook has released its betting odds to win. I have the following three drivers offering the best value on the board in this event.
Bojangles Southern 500 Top Favorite – Brad Keselowski +700
I like Keselowski in this race at slightly higher betting odds than the top favorites on the board at 5Dimes. He is coming off a strong run at Bristol two weeks ago as part of eight runs inside the top five drivers this season. He also has a trio of victories on the 2019 racing resume behind the wheel of the No. 2 Ford. This team has already clinched its playoff spot, and it is currently sixth on the list in total points with 794. This team also knows how to win Cup Series events with at least three trips to Victory Lane in each of its past four seasons.
The biggest reason why Keselowski tops this week’s list in betting value is his recent success at Darlington. Prior to winning this event last season, he placed second in 2015 as part of three Top 10 runs in the previous four years.
Bojangles Southern 500 Top Contender – Chase Elliott +1400
I continually have an eye out for Elliott when the betting odds grow a bit longer on the list. He rallied to crack the top five at Bristol at No. 5 as part of eight runs this season of fifth or better. This includes victories at Talladega and more recently Watkins Glen. Firmly in the playoff field, the No. 9 Chevrolet is seventh in the current Cup Series standings with 757 total points. Consistency has been a concern this season with a number of forgettable runs, but current form is an encouraging sign heading the tail end of the regular season.
Elliott also adds some value to his longer odds this week with a respectable fifth-place finish at Darlington last season. This was his best effort over the course of his limited Cup Series racing career.
Bojangles Southern 500 Top Longshot – Clint Bowyer +4300
As one of the senior drivers in Cup Series racing, there is quite a bit on the line for Bowyer in this Sunday’s race. His No. 14 Ford racing team is currently on the outside looking in as far the 16-driver field for this year’s 10-race playoff. With a total of 589 points and zero wins, this team is 17th on the current list. Bowyer has made his way into the top 10 in 10 different point races this season with five runs inside the top five. At this point, the only thing that would guarantee a playoff spot is a win this Sunday night or a win next Sunday at Indianapolis. He managed to take the checkered flag in two races last year as part of a 12th-place finish in the final driver standings.
An early wreck took Bowyer out of last season’s race at Darlington after a blown engine ended his day in this race back in 2017. This is definitely not one of his favorite tracks over the course of his racing career, but I am banking on the added motivation to earn a playoff spot kicking in.
