The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series speeds in to Darlington, South Carolina and the Darlington Raceway for this week’s Bojangles Southern 500. It will be the penultimate stop on the regular season schedule with the Chase set to begin two weeks later in Chicago, Illinois. With just two races left to go before the playoffs, the urgency will be ramped up once again this week with a number of drivers hoping that they can break through. The group of Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch has created some clear separation from the pack with their recent dominance. It should be no surprise that those three drivers are currently listed as the top three sports betting favorites on the board for this week’s Bojangles Southern 500.
Details
Event: Bojangles Southern 500
Category: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Date: Sunday September 3rd, 2017 – 6:00 PM ET
Venue: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina
That group of three struck again last week when Busch captured his sixth career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was Busch’s second NASCAR win in the last four weeks and it was enough to move him past Larson in to second place in the point standings. Busch, Larson and Truex Jr. have combined to win the last four races in a row. After a week off following Bristol, all three will be focused and motivated to continue their hot streaks at Darlington.
Past Five Winners
2016: Martin Truex Jr.
2015: Carl Edwards
2014: Kevin Harvick
2013: Matt Kenseth
2012: Jimmie Johnson
What To Know About The Track
Darlington Raceway, which is also known as The Lady In Black, is a 1.4-mile oval with 23-25 degree banking in the turns. The track caused plenty of problems for drivers in 2015 when there were issues with tires and cautions but crew chiefs and drivers seem to have figured out what to expect at this track despite that it’s still nicknamed, “The Track Too Tough To Tame”. The configurations of the egg-shaped design will definitely create obstacles for greener drivers that don’t know what to expect and keep the pressure on crews throughout the event. The race will be run at 500 miles over 366 laps.
The Field
Truex is the defending champion at the Bojangles Southern 500 and it’s no surprise that he is a co-sports betting favorite to win here again in 2017. Truex and Busch are both listed at +350 odds to win this race outright, followed by Larson at +450 odds. Denny Hamlin is expected to be in the mix as well at +700 odds followed by Kevin Harvick at +800 odds to win this race outright. Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Erik Jones and Chase Elliott round out the list of sports betting favorites to win the Bojangles Southern 500.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Ryan Newman over Brad Keselowski
Newman has quietly been very impressive of late including top-six finishes at Michigan and Bristol in his last two starts. Newman has also been very good at Darlington throughout his career with 12 top-10 finishes in 18 starts. The combination of his overall success at Darlington, his recent success in the MENCS and the excellent value of his betting odds make him Newman a smart pick this week. With Keselowski struggling of late, there is excellent value betting on Newman to beat him in the head-to-head sports betting matchup this week.
Top-Five Pick: Martin Truex Jr.
The value of betting Truex to finish in the top-five isn’t nearly as good as taking Newman to beat Keselowski in the head-to-head sports betting matchup. However, Truex is close to a lock to place in the top-five at Darlington so it makes sense to make him our pick here. Truex won this race in 2016 and he has registered 10 top-10 finishes in 24 starts this season. That includes top-three finishes in three of his last four races heading in to Darlington. It might not be outstanding value, but Truex should be a lock to finish in the top-five in the Bojangles Southern 500.
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