NASCAR Picks: NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 available at Walmart at Atlanta Best Bets, Odds to Consider on DraftKings Sportsbook
NASCAR radically changes styles once again. In the last month, the schedule has shifted from a west coast road course to a concrete intermediate track in Nashville, and then to a street circuit in Chicago. This week, NASCAR runs its fourth pack race of the 2023 season. As always, trust the data but also trust your eyes. Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 available at Walmart at Atlanta.
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Everyone knows the drill. Atlanta is a pack-racing track. So far, the new version of Atlanta has not proven to be as volatile as Talladega and Daytona, but as drivers become more familiar with the track and become more aggressive, the carnage will ensue. This race marks the fourth race at Atlanta and the first night race with the new configuration. It’s possible that a night race with cooler temperatures will add more grip and allow drivers to run side-by-side drafting lines throughout most of the race. If that’s so, then we have a typical Daytona and Talladega pack race with the long shots firmly on the board.
Race Winner — Quaker State 400 available at Walmart at Atlanta
Austin Hill +5,500
This is a long shot, but a trip to victory lane is not unfathomable. In two years, Hill has become the best plate racer in the Xfinity Series. He also has a Truck Series win at Daytona. Beard Motorsports isn’t the greatest team ever, but they have earned top-10 finishes at Daytona and Talladega on their own. This race won’t be on their own. Hill is an RCR driver and he brings with him a connection to RCR development and ECR engines. Chaos and luck will be necessary for Hill to win a Cup Series race at his home track but it’s not a farfetched scenario.
Cole Custer +6,000
Unlike Hill, this specific Rick Ware car is likely a Rick Ware car. In the past, Custer has driven Ware cars that were specifically built by Stewart-Haas Racing. That won’t be the case. This deal has more to with Cody Ware being out of the car than specifically selling a ride to Cole Custer. That being said, it wouldn’t be surprising for this car to be a little bit faster than the normal RWR ride given Custer’s connections at Haas. A little bit faster is all Custer needs in a pack race. RWR cars with fewer connection and worse drivers have earned top-10 finishes in pack races. Custer has momentum from three Xfinity Series wins in 2023. He’s also hungry and desperate to get back to the Cup Series. He’s racing for the win not a top 5.
NASCAR matchup bets and prop bets as they become available on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Race Winner — Quaker State 400 available at Walmart at Atlanta
Ryan Blaney +1,200
Favorites are fine. The long shots are appealing, but more often than not the favorites win. While it’s disappointing to miss out on massive paydays, the favorites provide solid returns compared to the odds of the favorites during normal weeks. In the last two races at Atlanta, Blaney has finished seventh and fifth. He’s been the runner-up in the last two at Talladega and he earned a top-10 finish in the 2023 Daytona 500. In his last 33 plate races, Blaney has 15 top 10s and three wins.
Erik Jones +3,500
Richard Petty Motorsports — Legacy Motor Club — has always built competitive plate track cars. Aric Almirola and Bubba Wallace routinely battled for wins in the 43 car at Talladega and Daytona. Jones is no stranger to success in a pack race. He won the 2018 Daytona summer race and the 2020 Busch Clash at Daytona. His teammate, Noah Gragson (+6,000), provides more attractive odds, but Jones has been a more successful driver in the Cup Series. Jones has a top-10 finish in each of the last two races at Atlanta. At Talladega, he has a streak of three straight sixth-place finishes and a top-10 finish in six of the last seven races.
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