NASCAR New Hampshire odds, picks and predictions for the Crayon 301 Cup Series race

Waco Tribune Herald

14 July 2023

NASCAR New Hampshire odds, picks and predictions for the Crayon 301 Cup Series race

If you like longshots, this week’s NASCAR Cup Series Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is calling your name.

In 51 Cup races at the 1.058-mile track, 10 different winners have come from outside of the starting grid’s top 20. That’s nearly 20%.

The last one to do it was Aric Almirola in 2021, who stared 22nd. There have also been five first-time winners there.

Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers with four victories at New Hampshire, with his last one coming in 2019.

And while William Byron leads all drivers this season with four Cup victories, he’s not the odds-on favorite this week at the Caesars Sportsbook. That honor goes to Christopher Bell at +500.

Bell won last year’s New Hampshire race and has one victory this season (Bristol) and is fourth in driver points.

Byron is currently sitting at +900 odds to take his fifth checkered flag of 2023.

FrontPageBets takes a look at drivers to watch in the Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m., USA Network).

Pick to win: Kevin Harvick (+1100)

While Harvick leads all active drivers in wins at New Hampshire, he’s also tied with Jeff Burton for the most of anyone in Cup Series history.

A victory Sunday would give Harvick five wins at the 1.058-mile track and 61 overall in his 23-year career.

Harvick hasn’t won in 31 races, with his last victory coming in August 2022 at Richmond Raceway.

This season, Harvick is ninth in driver points and has seven top-10s and four top-5 finishes.

In 39 career starts at New Hampshire, the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford has an average finish of 12.2. He also boasts 14 top-5s and 23 top-10s.

Top-3 pick: Christopher Bell (+160)

Not only did he win last year’s race, Bell has dominated New Hampshire Motor Speedway across all facets of NASCAR.

Bell is one of just two drivers to roll to victory lane in all three of the top NASCAR series – Craftsman Truck, Xfinity and Cup. Kyle Busch is the only other one in NASCAR history to do the same at the 1.058-mile track.

In three career Cup starts at New Hampshire, Bell, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, has one win and two top-5 finishes.

Top-10 pick: Kyle Busch (-175)

Kyle Busch has three career wins at New Hampshire, with the last one coming in 2017.

To go along with those three victories, Busch has 16 top-10 finishes, including 11 top-5s in 31 career starts. His average finish is 14.2 and he’s led more than 1,100 laps.

This season, Busch, who drives the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, is third in Cup points and has three victories to go along with 12 top-10s and seven top-5s.