Category: Motor Sports
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NASCAR Betting: 2 Under-the-Radar Driver Matchup Picks for Las Vegas Race Weekend
After dodging mist and moisture in Atlanta last weekend, the Monster Engergy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS), XFINITY Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series are heading to the desert for a triple-header at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The MENCS will be running a new package that is attempting to keep the cars more closely bunched together,…
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NASCAR Drivers Kyle Busch, Erik Jones Place Wager on Top-10 Finish Streak
The start of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) season has been good to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Gibbs driver Denny Hamlin won the season-opening Daytona 500, and Martin Truex Jr. was clearly the best car at Atlanta last week before finishing runner-up to Brad Keselowski. New NASCAR Inspection Rules Force Sportsbooks to…
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Freedman’s Favorite NASCAR Matchup Prop: Martin Truex Jr. vs. Kyle Larson at QuikTrip 500
Each day, I publish at least one quick-n’-dirty piece highlighting a favorite prop of mine. See my master list of 2019 prop bets for more information. Also follow me in The Action Network app, where each day I post additional, official player prop picks: Today we have six-game NHL and three-game NBA slates. 2019 Year-to-Date Record 140-127-9, +13.99…
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Freedman’s Favorite Daytona 500 Driver Matchups: Bet on Aric Almirola
Each day, I publish at least one quick-n’-dirty piece highlighting a favorite prop of mine. See my master list of 2019 prop bets for more information. Also follow me in The Action Network app, where each day I post additional, official player prop picks: Today we have a six-game NHL slate to bet on. 2019 Year-to-Date Record 107-84-8,…
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NASCAR Driver Ratings: Ranking the Entire Daytona 500 Field
The Advance Auto Parts Clash, qualifying, the Can-Am Duel races and practice sessions are complete, meaning the Daytona 500 is finally here! After analyzing the data from the on-track activity mentioned above, as well historical results from Daytona International Speedway, I’ve compiled my rankings for the entire 2019 Daytona 500 field, 1-40, for both sports…
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Daytona 500 Odds: Keselowski, Logano Co-Favorites in Vegas
The 2019 Daytona 500 is officially here. And after weeks of betting, as well as plenty of on-track activity like the Advance Auto Parts Clash, multiple practice sessions and the Gander RV Duel races, oddsmakers have updated Daytona 500 odds heading into today’s race. Ford drivers occupy six of the top seven spots in terms…
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Walsh: My Biggest NASCAR Bet for the 2019 Daytona 500
I placed my first bet for the 2019 Daytona 500 back on Jan. 11 when I snagged Ryan Blaney at 20-1 to win The Great American Race. With odds available for more than a month now, I’ve also added more drivers to my card, doing my best to grab drivers at the peak of their…
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Freedman’s 20 Favorite 2019 NASCAR Driver Matchups: Season Points & Wins
Each day, I publish at least one quick-n’-dirty piece highlighting a favorite prop of mine. See my master list of 2019 prop bets for more information. Also follow me in The Action Network app, where each day I post additional, official player prop picks: Today we have a massive 12-game NHL slate to bet on. 2019 Year-to-Date Record…
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Five Season-Long 2019 NASCAR Bets: Denny Hamlin Will Dominate
The 2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series season kicks off Sunday with the 61st running of the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX). But the Great American Race is just the first of 36 races for the year. Over the next nine months, we’re bound to see many twists, turns, tempers and trophies, but in…
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Daytona 500 Picks: The NASCAR Bet to Make Following Thursday’s Duel
The Advance Auto Parts Clash, qualifying and the Gander RV Duel races are in the books, meaning — save for a few practice sessions — the next time we’ll see the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars on the track will be for Sunday’s 61st running of the Daytona 500 (3:05 p.m. ET green flag,…
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Freedman: Daytona 500 Underdogs to Bet BEFORE the Duels Races
The Daytona 500 is on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX), and sportsbooks have already posted many head-to-head driver matchups for the race. While most bettors will wait till closer to the event to invest in these props, I think there’s an edge for people who place some bets early in the week. On Thursday, there…
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Walsh: My Favorite Bet for Thursday’s NASCAR Duel Races at Daytona
Starting with tonight’s Gander RV Duel races at Daytona, there are four straight days of meaningful NASCAR racing for motorsports fans and bettors, culminating in Sunday’s 61st running of the Daytona 500. The Duel races serve as qualifying races that set the field and starting lineup for the Daytona 500. While qualifying time trials were…
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Freedman’s Favorite NASCAR Matchups for Daytona Duel Races (Feb. 14): Ride with Jimmie Johnson & Kurt Busch
Each day, I publish at least one quick-n’-dirty piece highlighting a favorite prop of mine. See my master list of 2019 prop bets for more information. Also follow me in The Action Network app, where each day I post additional official player prop picks. On Thursday, we have 11-game NHL and three-game NBA slates on which we’ll want…
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Freedman’s Favorite NASCAR Clash at Daytona Driver Matchup (Feb. 10): Kurt Busch vs. Ryan Blaney
Each day, I publish at least one quick-n’-dirty piece highlighting a favorite prop of mine. See my master list of 2019 prop bets for more information. Also follow me in The Action Network app, where each day I post additional official player prop picks. On Sunday, we have eight-game NHL and five-game NBA slates on which we’ll want…
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New NASCAR Inspection Rules Force Sportsbooks to Update How Bets Are Graded
On Monday, NASCAR announced a handful of rule changes meant to add clarity and transparency to both the sport’s rulebook and process of handing out penalties. One of the most aggressive changes revolves around how the sanctioning body will handle winning cars deemed to be illegal following a race. In the past, winning cars were…
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NASCAR Driver Matt DiBenedetto Surprised By His Longshot Daytona 500 Odds
Super Bowl 53 not only marks the end of the NFL season, but it also signifies that Daytona Speedweeks is less than seven days away. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) cars will officially hit the track for the first time this season during Saturday’s practice sessions for the Advance Auto Parts Clash (Sunday, 3…
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Jimmie Johnson, Marco Andretti Agree to Super Bowl 53 Wager
Professional athletes really are just like us. According to a Tweet from Jimmie Johnson, the NASCAR driver has agreed to a bet on Super Bowl 53 with IndyCar star Marco Andretti. Man I have a gambling problem… I’m not even sure what the 2.5 part of the bet is? Anyway, now I have a team…
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Walsh: The 2019 Daytona 500 Sleeper Bet to Jump on Right Now
I don’t normally make this many offseason bets for the Daytona 500, but when the value is there in sports betting, you need to pounce while you can. Like NASCAR’s ratings and attendance, interest in stock car betting has waned in recent years. As a result, sportsbooks are offering fewer betting options than ever, while…
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Walsh: 2019 Daytona 500 Offering My Favorite Longshot Bet Ever
Everybody likes a longshot. It’s why casual bettors love throwing a couple of bucks on huge underdogs and continue to play parlays, even though it’s commonly known that parlays are generally bad over the long haul. When it comes to betting on NASCAR, longshots are typically bad bets as well. In 2018, Kevin Harvick, Kyle…
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Walsh: The Daytona 500 Bet to Make Right Now
NASCAR isn’t the most popular sport for bettors, especially early in January when the NFL playoffs are rolling strong and the Daytona 500 is still more than one month away. But that doesn’t mean bettors should be ignoring the Great American Race. While those who do wager on the Daytona 500 likely won’t do so…
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2019 Daytona 500 Odds: Vegas Opens Brad Keselowski as Early Favorite
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) just crowned Joey Logano as its 2018 champion, and Golden Nugget in Las Vegas wasted no time opening its odds to win the 2019 Daytona 500. While Logano took home the 2018 championship, Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski is the early Daytona 500 favorite at 9-1, followed by…
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Handicapping NASCAR’s Championship Four at Homestead-Miami Speedway
After 35 races, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano have earned the right to battle for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch (2015), Harvick (2014) and Truex (2017) have all notched one championship in their careers, while Logano is attempting to secure his…
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Top NASCAR Bets for Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has one of its crown jewel races Sunday: The Bojangles Southern 500. Darlington Raceway is an egg-shaped, highly banked 1.366-mile oval where tire and car management are key. Because the optimal racing line is in close proximity to the wall, cars will frequently tag the wall in what’s known…
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Walsh: Brutal 15-1 NASCAR Loss Stirs Up Painful Ghosts of Bad Beats Past
I’m not going to lie. This one hurts to write. If you bet on sports long enough, you end up being the victim of more bad beats than you’d like to admit, but it doesn’t make them any easier. For the most part, I’ve become almost robotic about them. Bad beats are simply part of…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Saturday’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits Kentucky Speedway for 400 miles under the lights. Kentucky was reconfigured and repaved prior to the 2016 race — and in each of the two night races held there since, 11 of the 40 drivers encountered major problems. That increased the potential for a late caution to throw…
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Bettors Believe Travis Pastrana Can Jump Caesars Palace Fountain
In my two-plus years in the industry, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when I’d see some Travis Pastrana odds. Even though I never dirt-biked or did any other ballsy stunts such as Pastrana’s growing up, I loved watching the crazy jumps he could pull off at the X Games. If you don’t…
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Top NASCAR Prop Bets for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma
For the first time all season, this week NASCAR drivers will make some right turns! We have our first road-course race of the year at Sonoma Raceway. Road-course racing is unlike anything else on the NASCAR circuit. Because the tracks are long and driving is (relatively) slow, it’s possible for cars to pit without losing…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to its first road course race of the year at Sonoma Raceway. The 1.99-mile road course is highly technical, and while it is one of two road course tracks that we have data for (the third road course is the new roval at Charlotte), the other road course…
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Can Sports Betting Legalization Save NASCAR?
I represent everything that is wrong about being a sports fan in New England. I love the New York Yankees, tease Patriots fans about Tom Brady losing to Eli Manning (twice), prefer college basketball over the NBA and absolutely love NASCAR. But when it comes to my NASCAR addiction, it wasn’t always this way. I…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400
This weekend NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile oval that was repaved in 2012. Since then, speeds have been in excess of 200 mph on average for the top cars, making passing difficult despite the wide surface, and putting track position at a premium. To combat the track-position issue, Goodyear is bringing in…
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Top NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400
For the second week in a row, the NASCAR Cup Series race is at one of the larger tracks on the circuit. A two-mile D-shaped tri-oval, Michigan International Speedway typically features high speeds (in excess of 200 mph), thanks to the 18-degree banking in the corners, extended straightaways and wide surface. Because of the high…
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Top NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s Pocono 400
After the 1.5-mile quad-oval regularity of last week’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, this week we are likely to get a strategy-filled affair at Pocono Raceway. Sometimes called “The Tricky Triangle,” Pocono is a 2.5-mile asphalt flat track that often sees fuel-mileage races. Pocono features minimal 14-, 8-. and 6-degree banking in the three corners, so passing…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Best Bets for Sunday’s Pocono 400
Pocono Raceway, also known as The Tricky Triangle, is a large and very unique 2.5-mile tri-oval racetrack with its three turns modeled after turns at other tracks. Turn 1 is taken from Trenton Speedway, and Turn 2 is inspired by the corners at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (also referred to as the “Tunnel Turn” due to…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600
This weekend is a motor sports fanatic’s dream, with Formula One’s Moncao Grand Prix, IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 all lined up on Sunday. The nightcap of this triple-header is NASCAR’s longest race of the year at 600 miles. Charlotte Motor Speedway has a relatively high did-not-finish rate, and this race often produces surprising…
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6 NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means that it’s time for the greatest motor sports day of the year. In the morning (9:10 a.m. ET), we have the Monaco Grand Prix. In the afternoon (12:19 p.m. ET), we have the Indianapolis 500, where … Alexander Rossi is favored. Danica Patrick has a shot to win her…
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Is Danica Patrick a Legitimate Contender in Final Career Race?
The Highlights Danica Patrick will make the final start of her motorsports career in Sunday’s Indy 500 Patrick opened 30-1 at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook on May 7 After qualifying seventh, Patrick has moved to 20-1 When the green flag waves at the conclusion of Sunday’s 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, the career…
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Reynolds: Indy 500 Betting Preview and Value Picks
The surest prediction for 102nd Indianapolis 500 is unpredictability. Memorial Day Weekend brings about several annual traditions such as barbecues, higher gas prices, remembrances of our fallen servicemen and women and the running of the Indianapolis 500 (12:19 p.m. ET green flag). Mispriced Indy 500 Prop Offering Significant Betting Value Read now Before handicapping…
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Mispriced Indy 500 Prop Offering Significant Betting Value
The Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend is the single-best motorsports betting day of the year, highlighted by a loaded race schedule: -Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix (9:10 a.m. ET) -IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 (12:19 p.m. ET) -NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 (6:18 p.m. ET) Is Danica Patrick a Legitimate Contender in Final Career Race? Read now It’s…
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Rossi Leads Updated List of Indy 500 Betting Favorites
Following a full week of practice and qualifying that set the field for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, sportsbooks have reopened odds for Sunday’s race. In her final career race, Danica Patrick is 20-1 after securing a seventh-place spot on the starting grid. Alexander Rossi remains the favorite, but has ticked up from…
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NASCAR Trucks Offer Best Betting Value of the Weekend
The Preakness is clearly the biggest race of the weekend, but it’s also an exciting time of year for motorsports bettors with NASCAR’s All-Star Race set to run Saturday night, leading into Memorial Weekend’s Monaco GP, Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 triple-header. Lo Duca: Will Justify Make It Look Easy at the Preakness Stakes? Read…
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Vettel, Hamilton Heavy Favorites for 2018 Monaco Grand Prix
The Highlights Two-time winner Sebastian Vettel (+160) is the early Monaco GP betting favorite. Lewis Hamilton, also a two-time winner at Monaco, has the second best odds at +185. Memorial Day Weekend provides the best day in motorsports betting with Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix, IndyCar’s Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 all running on…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Values for Saturday Night’s KC Masterpiece 400
This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway for its second Saturday night race of the season. Kansas is a typical 1.5-mile oval, where long-run speed, year-to-date performance, starting position and 1.5-mile quality pass percentage are the main factors in my machine learning model. I’ll also use the RotoViz Driver Sim Scores to gauge race-winning upside. 3…
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3 NASCAR Prop Bets for Saturday Night’s KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas
Regardless of whatever your thoughts are on Kansas barbecue — and regardless of whether you think “barbecue” should be spelled “barbeque” or just “BBQ” — Kansas is where this week’s NASCAR race is being held. The KC Masterpiece 400 has been a Saturday night race since 2014, with some of the best drivers on the…
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4 NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover
In the words of Wayne Campbell, “Hi, I’m in Delaware.” While the state is rather unassuming, it boasts “The Monster Mile,” a 95,500-seat one-mile concrete oval with 24-degree banking in the corners, which makes Dover International Speedway one of the steepest tracks on the circuit. One of NASCAR’s two concrete steep tracks (Bristol Motor Speedway…
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One Dover NASCAR Driver Matchup I’m Betting Right Now
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars won’t hit the track for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism (2:15 p.m. ET green flag) at Dover International Speedway until Friday, but a handful of sportsbooks have already opened futures and props for this weekend’s race. For those new to NASCAR betting, matchups include two drivers, and bettors…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Talladega GEICO 500
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads south to Talladega, Alabama, for the second restrictor plate race of the 2018 season. Restrictor plate racing is a unique style of racing seen only at Talladega and Daytona. Because NASCAR mandates the use of speed-limiting restrictor plates, the cars end up running in a big pack, where…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Saturday’s Richmond Toyota Owners 400
This weekend at Richmond Raceway, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has its first Saturday Night race of the season. Richmond is a track that features limited passing and low did-not-finish (DNF) rates. The key stats that go into my machine learning model this weekend are starting position, long-run speed in final practice, year-to-date driver rating, and past…
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Three NASCAR Prop Bets for Saturday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond
In the words of Elton John, “Saturday night’s alright for driving.” Normally we get our NASCAR races on Sunday, but Richmond Raceway hosts all of its events in the evening, so today we get the first nighttime race of the year. Given that one of the nicknames for Richmond Raceway is “Action Track,” you know…
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Three NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol
One of the shortest, loudest, and most popular tracks on the NASCAR circuit, Bristol Motor Speedway is a venue unto itself. With its steep banking, concrete surface, two pit roads, and surround seating, Bristol is unlike all other tracks. As a result, in addition to all the standard metrics we normally consult . . .…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is in Bristol, Tennessee, this weekend for Sunday’s Food City 500. Bristol Motor Speedway is a 0.533-mile, steeply-banked concrete track that often leads to damaged vehicles and hot tempers. The key stats that go into my machine learning model this weekend are quality pass percentage over the past eight Bristol races,…
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Three NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas
NASCAR took last week off to celebrate April Fools’ Day, but this week it’s back and ready to rock the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), which is a high-banked 1.5-mile quad-oval with fast speeds and a surface that was repaved less than two years ago. Plus, it was the site of the 1997 Blockbuster Rock Fest, which…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Texas O’Reilly Auto Parts 500
After a week off, the NASCAR Cup series is back, visiting the third 1.5-mile oval of the season at Texas Motor Speedway. This is the second year on the newly configured track at TMS. With six races completed, my machine learning model is heavily weighted toward 2018 results, especially at the 1.5- and 2.0-mile ovals.…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Monday’s Martinsville STP 500
Note: The STP 500 has been postponed until Monday at 2 p.m. ET due to inclement weather. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the shortest track on its schedule this weekend for the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway. At a short, flat track such as Martinsville, close quarters often lead to beating and…
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Two NASCAR Prop Bets for Monday’s Martinsville STP 500
Note: The STP 500 has been postponed until Monday at 2 p.m. ET due to inclement weather. The Daytona 500 may be considered NASCAR’s “Super Bowl”, but I’ll take Martinsville Speedway over any other track on the circuit, including Daytona. Martinsville is short (only 0.526 miles compared to Daytona’s 2.5 miles) and flat, meaning cars…
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Two NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s Auto Club 400
Auto Club Speedway owns the oldest asphalt surface in the series, meaning it’s very worn and abrasive, and therefore hard on tires. As a result, tires wear out very quickly, resulting in poor-handling racecars that are difficult to drive. While that sounds like a bad thing, it actually leads to fantastic racing. NASCAR Cup Series:…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Auto Club 400
This weekend NASCAR completes its West Coast swing with a stop at the 2-mile D-shaped oval known as Auto Club Speedway. The track is known for its old surface, which produces high tire wear. As a result, speed over the long run is extremely important, and is the number one factor in my machine learning statistical…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix
NASCAR heads to its first flat track of the year at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona (3:30 pm ET). Flat tracks require a different skill set, so the stats to key in on this weekend are slightly different. We still want to focus on long-run speed and recent performance at all tracks. However, starting position…
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Three NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix
This weekend we get the TicketGuardian 500 at the newly-named ISM Raceway (formerly Phoenix Raceway and Phoenix International Raceway). The race is at 3:30 pm ET. (Also, don’t get screwed over by daylight saving time.) NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix Read now A one-mile tri-oval, ISM is one…
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Five NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas
With the NASCAR season shifting into gear, this weekend we get the Pennzoil 400. Whereas last week’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway featured its fair share of strategy thanks to the track’s high tire wear, this week we seem likely to get a rather typical race, as there’s nothing particular individualistic about Las Vegas Motor…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas
This weekend NASCAR heads to Sin City for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Appropriately, I’m here to help you find value for Sunday’s 267-lap race. Each week I will use my machine learning statistical model and the RotoViz Driver Sim Scores to find the best value bets to win the race. Five NASCAR…
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Three NASCAR Prop Bets for Sunday’s Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta
Following a fantastic finish at last week’s season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR this week zooms to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quiktrip 500. Atlanta is a 1.5-mile quad-oval track with high tire wear, so although it is most comparable on the NASCAR circuit to Texas Motor Speedway there really is no comparison to it. As…
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NASCAR Cup Series: Top Bets for Sunday’s Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta
The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series visits the 1.5-mile quad-oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500. I’m going to use my machine learning statistical model and the RotoViz Driver Sim Scores to find the top bets for Sunday’s race. With weather on the horizon, the race has been moved up an…