It’s going to be a quick turnaround for NASCAR as they’re back at on Wednesday and NJ sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet & more are lining up action for NJ bettors.
The drivers got back in action at Darlington Raceway on Sunday and now they’ll have another race on Wednesday as they aim to make up for the lost time.
After that, we’ll quickly move on to Charlotte Motor Speedway where we’ll again have a race on Sunday followed by a second on Wednesday. Let’s take a look at both races and both tracks, and see who is a good bet for each.
Race: Toyota 500k
- When: Wednesday, May 20th at 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Darlington Raceway
For a second time this week, the drivers will race at Darlington but it’s important to note that this race will be different. To start, the original race is 400 miles whereas Wednesday’s race is 500 kilometers, which breaks down to 311.4 miles.
That means we’re looking at 228 laps in the shorter race on Wednesday. Secondly, it’s important to note that the starting grid is already set and the lineup is an inversion of what we saw at the finish line on Sunday.
In other words, Kevin Harvick, who won the race, will start 20th on Wednesday. Alex Bowman, who finished second, will start 19th and so on.
All sportsbooks in the Garden State have odds upon who’ll win but DraftKings and a number of other books have some good props. Here are a couple of bets that I like this week for the Wednesday race.
Kevin Harvick over Kyle Busch
In this head-to-head prop, we’re pitting Harvick – Sunday’s winner – against Busch, who doesn’t have a ton of success on this track. Taking a look at Harvick’s history, he has placed in the Top 9 in eight straight starts here and in the Top 5 seven times.
He also has a pair of wins in that span. Over the last eight times, he’s raced here, he’s led for 677 laps. As for Busch, he’s pretty good here but not great. He has just one win, which came in 2008, and he finished 26th on Sunday.
Prior to that, he did finish in the Top 11 10 straight times but in the Top 5 just three times. I think Harvick has the edge here.
Best Finish Group C
In this prop, we’re looking at four drivers: Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, and William Byron. Busch and Jones are at +200 and +265, so I actually wouldn’t mind splitting a bet in half and spreading it out on both. Jones has only raced here four times and he’s finished in the Top 8 every time, which includes an outright win.
As for Busch, he’s been great here of late as he’s finished third, seventh, sixth, and third in his last four starts. If I had to pick one, I’d go with Jones but given that we can bet on two and still profit if either comes through, I like betting these two over Johnson and Byron.
Johnson, in general, is a fading commodity as he hasn’t finished better than 12th in his last six starts here. As for Byron, he’s never finished better than 21st at Darlington.
Race: Coca-Cola 600
- When: Sunday, May 24th at 6:00 PM ET
- Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway
While DraftKings has more props on the board for Wednesday’s race, FanDuel actually has early odds up on Sunday’s race, which is not currently yet offered at DraftKings.
- Kyle Busch is favored at +440
- Martin Truex Jr. is currently second in line at +500
- Harvick is next up at +650
- Joey Logano is at +850
Although Harvick is up here with the favorites, he’s someone I’d pass on. Sure, he’s coming off a win but Charlotte has not been fruitful for him recently. He placed 10th in the 2019 race and 40th in the 2018 race.
He hasn’t won this race since 2014, so I’d be cautious betting him here. Another driver I’d avoid is Joey Logano. While he did finish second in this race last year, he’s placed 21st or worse in the four starts before that.
If you’re eyeing the favorites, Kyle Busch might be the guy you want. He won the race in 2018 and has finished in the top three in three of his last four starts here. He’s someone I’d strongly consider. However, the best bet figures to be Martin Truex Jr. as nobody has been better than him at Charlotte Motor Speedway of late.
Truex Jr. has won two of the last three races here and placed second in the time he didn’t. Overall, he’s finished first, second, first, third, 13th, first, third and fifth in his last eight starts at the track. At this point, Truex Jr. looks like the best bet to win outright or for your Top 3/5 props.
