Coca-Cola 600 Picks, Odds & Predictions 5/28/2023
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte, North Carolina
NASCAR will move locations within the same state and visit the intermediate oval in Charlotte this weekend. This is coming after the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro where there was a lot of fun to be had on a special weekend for NASCAR. Memorial Day weekend has been the day when NASCAR has held the Coca-Cola 600 for numerous years at this point and it never fails to disappoint. It's the longest race of the season and runs for 600 miles. With a long weekend comes a long race and it's held on one of many 1.5-mile tri-ovals that NASCAR visits on a yearly basis. In many ways, it's very similar to Texas and Atlanta, but this track seems to come with more racing that goes side by side as opposed to most intermediate tracks the drivers will see this season. The durability of these cars will be pushed to the limits as horsepower seems to be what wins the race here. The drivers and cars will take a beating in this long race that spans from the daytime into the night. Teams will have to keep an eye on the gas tank as this long race tends to lead to fuel management to get across the finish line. It's a fun race with a lot of strategy because of the extra hundred miles and these strategic moves can be the difference between winning and losing.
The previous race, being in North Carolina, did little to help prepare these drivers for what they're going to face this weekend in Charlotte. Outside of running under the lights, there is little that is the same between the two races. You didn't see much that will resemble the Coca-Cola 600, but one thing we do know is that the 600-mile race will allow for lots of tweaks and adjustments to the handling of these cars. The team that can keep up with the changes in temperature and the surface of the track will be the team that has a great shot at getting to Victory Lane.
NASCAR All-Star Open Recap
Kyle Larson finally notched his second win of the season after having a few close calls over the course of this campaign. Larson was completely dominant with the winning move being made on lap 18 of 200. This was when was called into pit road for a new set of tires. Not even a penalty for speeding on the way out would keep Larson from recapturing the lead from Daniel Suarez on Lap 55. At that point, it was just a waiting game for Larson to cross the finish line as the winner of a million dollars and the All-Star Challenge.
NASCAR Playoff Standings
Nothing changed in the points this weekend as it didn't count towards the playoffs and with that said, William Byron is still holding on strong to the top spot in the playoff race with three wins and 387 points. Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch follow Byron with two wins each with 363 points for Larson and 353 for Busch. Filling out the top 5 is Christopher Bell with 402 points and Denny Hamlin with 393 points. Both of those drivers have one win each. In total, there are nine drivers with a win this season so there is plenty of room for another driver to grab his playoff spot.
Coca-Cola 600 Odds
Kyle Larson - +450
William Byron - +550
Denny Hamlin - +650
Martin Truex Jr. - +850
Chase Elliott - +900
Ross Chastain - +1,100
Kyle Busch - +1,100
Christopher Bell - +1,100
Tyler Reddick - +1,600
Kevin Harvick - +1,800
Bubba Wallace - +1,800
Alex Bowman - +1,800
Joey Logano - +2,200
Ryan Blaney - +2,200
Daniel Suarez - +3,500
Brad Keselowski - +4,000
Ty Gibbs - +6,500
Chris Buescher - +10,000
Chase Briscoe - +10,000
Austin Dillon - +10,000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - +10,000
It's hard to pick against Kyle Larson as he's on a bit of a hot streak and completely dominated last weekend. That said, Martin Truex Jr is a three-time winner in Charlotte since 2016 and he's led for over 1000 laps here in his career. He's done well on intermediate tracks this season and he's a great bet to win this weekend with +850 odds.
Tony's Pick: Take Martin Truex Jr. (+850)
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