NASCAR Picks: NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Best Bets, Odds to Consider on DraftKings Sportsbook

NASCAR will run their final road course race of the season at The Roval in Charlotte. It’s been an interesting season at the crooked courses, and The Roval playoff race is set to be the most interesting. As always, trust the data but also trust your eyes. Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte.

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The rumor is that this will be the last race at The Roval. Will this inspire more aggressive driving? It doesn’t take much to turn The Roval into a demolition derby. Turn 1 is preposterous, the infield section is not suited for stock cars and the back stretch features several sinister sections. If that’s not enough, NASCAR responded to the pure racing that occurred at the road courses this season. The executives decided artificial stage cautions should return. This would drum up more excitement and “sports entertainment.” The 2023 Roval race has the makings of becoming a wild race. That means the long shots are in play.

Race Winner — Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte

Chase Elliott +600

NASCAR wants Chase Elliott to win. NASCAR needs Chase Elliott to win. Superstars carry sports. It’s time for Elliott to step up, and NASCAR is not asking. The executives greased the wheels for Charlotte. The course correction and the reintroduction of stage breaks is perceived as a way to create more restarts and gin up carnage. There’s another angle. Predetermined cautions resuscitates the early pit strategy. This strategy heavily favors non-playoff drivers. Stage points are meaningful for playoff drivers. They are meaningless for Chase Elliott. He’ll forfeit the stage points and pit early between each stage. This almost guarantees that Elliott will have a safe spot inside the top 5. That’s quite an advantage for a seven-time road course winner and two-time Roval winner.

A.J. Allmendinger +1000

The return of stage breaks cannot be understated. It won’t be. The NASCAR media will remind fans all week. And to their credit and NASCAR’s, the decision to change the rules for entertainment purposes will be admitted. Some fans were not satisfied by the pure racing at the road course races this season. They need more crashes, so NASCAR will deliver. The crashes can benefit the drivers with longer odds, but the early pit cycle strategy is a huge boost for the non-playoff drivers with longer odds.

Allmendinger has participated in four Xfinity Series races at The Roval from 2019 to 2022. He won every single one of them. The rumor of the removal of The Roval from the racing calendar likely doesn’t sit well with The Dinger. His Cup Series stats are strong, too. He earned a top-5 finish as a part-time Cup Series driver at The Roval last season, and he earned a top-10 finish for JTG-Daugherty Racing in 2018.

NASCAR matchup bets and prop bets as they become available on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Race Winner — Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte

Kyle Busch +1600

The Roval is a cut race and Busch is nowhere close to the cut line. He’s dead last. The only way the RCR driver advances is by winning. Points aren’t going to work. For all intents and purposes, Busch is a non-playoff driver. He will pit cycle early, forfeit stage points and chase the much needed win.

It’s one thing for an average road course driver to have an advantage. Giving Rowdy an advantage is uncharacteristic of NASCAR. Busch will have the stage break advantage. He has another advantage — his car is great. The No. 8 RCR Chevy, driven by Tyler Reddick (+700), won two road course races last season. Busch started this season with two runner-up finishes and a top-5 finish in his first three road races in the RCR No. 8 car. Finally, Busch is strong at The Roval. He’s finished third and fourth in the last two Roval races.

Austin Cindric +3500

Everything checks out for the Roval. Cindric is one of the most talented road course drivers in NASCAR. He’s not a playoff driver. Also, Team Penske is in a comfortable spot. Ryan Blaney (+2800) advanced to the Round of 8 by winning at Talladega. This isn’t an all-hands-on-deck situation. The team’s resources aren’t likely to be unfairly diverted to Team Penske’s one playoff driver. Given the rare situation, Team Penske could give extra attention to Austin Cindric in order to get the young driver his first Cup Series road course win. Cindric has two top-10 finishes at the road courses this season, and he earned four last season. In the Xfinity Series, Cindric has five road course wins.

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