Four Shown the Door after Saturday
The NASCAR playoffs head to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday for the Bass Pro Shops night race. This is the final event in the round of 16, meaning four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs prior to Texas Motor Speedway next Sunday.
One would think that gives some value to drivers on the cusp such as Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Chase Brisco, or Kevin Harvick, who are currently the last four out — but nothing has gone according to plan in the Cup Series.
Let’s check the latest news, NASCAR picks, stats, reports, and NASCAR odds for NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race. We’ve plenty of NASCAR predictions for you to consider.
Draw a Name Out of a Hat and Hope for the Best
Bubba Wallace was the winner last week at the Kansas Motor Speedway because why wouldn’t he be at +1800.
Twelve drivers had higher odds than Wallace, who became the second straight driver not in the playoffs to pick up a checkered flag. Erik Jones won the Cook Out Southern 500 in Darlington two weeks ago to cash at +7000.
It’s probably best to look for a long shot in the NASCAR odds this week because it’s now 18 different drivers who have won a race this season. Kevin Harvick is the only driver to win back-to-back.
Kyle Larson is the returning champion of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, and he’s +800 to repeat. Larson has had a rough playoff by his standards, finishing 12th at Darlington and 8th at Kansas. He currently sits eighth in the postseason standings.
Will Hamlin Get Over the Hump?
Two non-playoff drivers winning the last two weeks would suggest that those who are in the Cup playoffs are comfortable racking up points and not aggressively going for the win.
That’s not the case for Denny Hamlin, though, as he’s come runner-up at both Darlington and Kansas and sits in third in the playoff standings.
Hamlin is the +750 co-favorite to bet online for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, and although chasing wins like Wallace at +3300 or Jones at +7000 is the trend lately, Hamlin has been so close to getting the victory lately, one would think it’s a matter of time before he gets the win. #11 also has a win at this event in 2019.
NASCAR Cup Bass Pro Shops Night Race Information
- Location: Bristol Motor Speedway
- Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 17th, 6:30 p.m. ET
- NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race Live stream: NBCSports.com
NASCAR Cup Bass Pro Shops Night Race Betting Odds
ODDS TO WIN BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE | MONEYLINE |
Chase Elliott | +750 |
Denny Hamlin | +750 |
Christopher Bell | +800 |
Kyle Busch | +800 |
Kyle Larson | +800 |
Kevin Harvick | +900 |
Tyler Reddick | +1200 |
Joey Logano | +1400 |
Ryan Blaney | +1400 |
William Byron | +1600 |
Ross Chastain | +1600 |
NASCAR Cup Bass Pro Shops Night Race Prediction
The way randoms are winning each week this season, almost anybody has some value here, including Ty Gibbs at +6600 or Aric Almirola at +8000. Wallace is out of the playoffs, but he’s still in contention for the owner’s title.
Alex Bowman (+2500 odds at the sportsbook) was in tune at Kansas, leading 107 laps before finishing fourth. Tyler Reddick (+1300) led more than half the laps he raced at Kansas before crashing out.
With so many wild cards out there of who could win this race, the best bet is going to be with consistent play, and that’s Hamlin with his consecutive runner-up finishes. It’s not fun going with the favorite, but +750 is still a nice return on investment.