Back-to-Back for Byron
Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet is having an incredible start to the season, having won three consecutive races after William Byron took home his second straight race win. Byron won the first stage at Phoenix before fighting back to take the win in the final stage and secure his second win of the season, vaulting him up the Drivers’ points standings.
Hendrick Motorsports’ win in Phoenix was Chevrolet’s fourth of the season and puts a priority on selecting Chevrolet rides to finish in the top five and win the Ambetter Health 400.
On Wednesday, NASCAR announced a set of heavy penalties to big-name drivers.
NEWS: NASCAR issues a deduction of 100 owner points, 100 driver points, and 10 NASCAR Playoff Points to the Nos. 5, 24, 31, & 48.
The No. 9 team has been issued a deduction of 100 owner points and 10 NASCAR Playoff Points. pic.twitter.com/WlX83RmARS
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 15, 2023
Blaney Finally Shows Up for Ford
Team Penske-Ford’s Ryan Blaney (+1200) was a preseason betting favorite who had not lived up to his lofty betting odds or public faith with his performances in 2023. Blaney’s eighth-place finish in the Daytona 500 was his best finish until last week in Phoenix, where Blaney finished second and landed on the podium.
With his favorite status reaffirmed, Blaney will look to maintain the form that helped him finish second. He could be a threat to win his first race of the year in Atlanta alongside Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who aims to improve on an 11th-place finish in Phoenix this weekend.
New Points Leader Alert!
As the NASCAR Cup Series enters round five, we have a new points leader for the third time this season. While Joey Logano got out to a quick start and led the points early, he was supplanted by Ross Chastain after Fontana.
Chastain’s reign atop the Drivers’ points was short-lived as Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet’s Alex Bowman (+2000) jumped Chastain for first place with a ninth-place finish compared to Chastain’s 24th.
While it is a long season, to get to the top of the points leaders, Drivers need to string together a consistent season. Bowman is doing that with two top-five finishes in the first three races and finishing every race this season in the top ten.
Ambetter Health 400 Recent Results
Six current Cup Series competitors have race wins in Atlanta, each of whom will have supporters in various NASCAR betting lines.
Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet’s William Byron (+1000) won this race in 2022, ending a five-year run of Ford rides winning at Atlanta. After back-to-back wins, Byron will be a sport betting favorite.
There were three drivers that took home the five race wins for Ford: Team Penske-Ford’s Ryan Blaney (+1200) won the 2021 race, RFK Racing-Ford’s Brad Keselowski (+2000) has won at Atlanta twice (2017, 2019), while Stewart-Haas Racing-Ford’s Kevin Harvick (+2500) won in 2018.
Richard Childress Racing-Chevrolet’s Kyle Busch (+1000) won the 2013 race in Atlanta, while perennial NASCAR odds favorite Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota’s Denny Hamlin (+1200) won the 2012 edition.
Ambetter Health 400 Race Information
- Race: NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 – 260 Laps (400.4 mi) – Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2/3: 100 laps.
- Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia
- Day/Time: Sunday, March 19, 2023, 3 p.m. ET
- NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health Live stream: NBCSports.com
Ambetter Health 400 Betting Lines
| Ambetter Health 400 | Moneyline |
| Kyle Larson | +900 |
| William Byron | +1000 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +1200 |
| Kyle Busch | +1000 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1200 |
| Christopher Bell | +1400 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1600 |
| Brad Keselowski | +2000 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +2000 |
| Alex Bowman | +2000 |
The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.
NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 Prediction
Hendrick Motorsports-Chevorlet’s Kyle Larson (+900) is the favorite in the NASCAR odds for this weekend. Larson followed a second-place finish in Las Vegas with a fourth-place finish in Phoenix – leading the most laps and winning stage 2 – and is poised to make the top five for a third straight race and potentially win his first race in 2023.
Chastain’s 24th-place finish helped facilitate his drop to fourth from the top of the Cup Series points lead. However, at +1000, Chastain is sure to feature prominently on online sports betting tickets to finish in the top five and get his first win of the season.
Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota’s Christopher Bell (+1400) joins teammate Hamlin as Toyota rides that could challenge Chevrolet for the race win, with longer NASCAR lines than many of the other potential winners.
Reigning Cup Series Champion Logano (+1200) will always be among the favorites for people betting online and is one of the Ford rides with a real chance to win in Atlanta.
However, from the recent winners and betting favorites, we’re favoring Hendrick Motorsports-Chevrolet’s Kyle Larson to break out and get his first win of the year in Atlanta as the betting favorite.
