After a week off, the NASCAR Xfinity series continues at Kansas for the beginning of the Round of 8. Alex Bowman won at Charlotte, which meant non-playoff drivers were three for three in the Round of 12. Can one of the eight remaining playoff drivers break the streak at Kansas?
Details
Event: 2017 Xfinity Kansas Lottery 300
Category: Xfinity Series
Date: Saturday, October 21, 3:00 PM ET
Location: Kansas Speedway
Bowman won his first-ever Xfinity race at Charlotte, starting fourth and leading 32 laps. He was followed across the finish line by Sam Hornish Jr., Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon and Brennan Poole. Daniel Suarez led 111 laps from the pole, but he finished eighth. Kyle Busch won the previous three Kansas races in a row, and he led 150 laps last year. However, he won’t be in the field this year due to the restrictions that have been put on Cup drivers when it comes to the Xfinity playoffs. This gives the rest of the field a legitimate chance to score a win.
Past Five Winners
2016: Kyle Busch
2015: Kyle Busch
2014: Kyle Busch
2013: Matt Kenseth
2012: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The Field
After a week off, the drivers are back on the Xfinity side of things competing in Kansas. Ryan Blaney is the favorite for this week’s race and that’s not a big surprise. He has started 10 Xfinity races this season and he has a pair of wins and five second-place results. That gives you a good idea of just how strong of a bet he is.
Jones should also be in the mix after finishing 15th in this race last year. He has a pair of wins on the year with seven Top 5’s. He might be a better bet for the Top 5 props.
Allgaier has started every Xfinity race so far this season, picking up a pair of wins and nine Top 5’s. His track record doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, though, placing 14th in 2016 and fifth in 2015.
There will be bettors who are eyeing Byron but keep in mind that he’s really cooled off of late. He has just one Top 5 in his last five outings.
What To Know About The Track
Kansas Speedway opened up in 2001 and it is a 1.5-mile track that has 17-20 degrees of banking in the turns, 9-11 degrees down the frontstretch and five degrees down the backstretch. Five winners at Kansas have started 10th or lower on the grid, and while Busch has started sixth, fourth and from the pole in his wins, that is Kyle Busch; that is what he does in the Xfinity Series. You can make passes at Kansas, regardless of what series you’re driving in and with Busch gone, this should be a race that has plenty of drama and excitement.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Elliott Sadler over Justin Allgaier
Sadler is +100 in this matchup against Allgaier at -130, and Allgaier is second in the standings, while Sadler is third. He has finished in the top 10 in all three playoff races so far, while Allgaier finished 33rd at Charlotte. Sadler finished second to Busch here last year, while Allgaier finished 14th. This is all about consistency and Sadler has two top-10 results at Kansas in the last three years; the other finish was a 12th in 2014. Allgaier finished 14th here last year, and even though he had four top-10s in five starts at Kansas (with a low of 11th) from 2009 to 2013, Sadler is generally more consistent than Allgaier and has been all year.
Top-Five Pick: Brennan Poole
Poole is sixth in the standings after a fifth-place finish at Charlotte, and he has finished second, fifth and fifth in the playoffs so far. He has made two starts at Kansas, finishing 13th in 2015 and seventh last year. He is trending towards a top-five finish and given his recent form, it should happen this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
Odds To Win 2017 Kansas Lottery 300
Ryan Blaney +250
Erik Jones +350
Christopher Bell +750
Austin Dillon +1000
Justin Allgaier +1200
William Byron +1200
Cole Custer +1200
Daniel Hemric +1200
Elliott Sadler +1200
Tyler Reddick +1400
Brennan Poole +1600
Ty Dillon +2500
Matt Tifft +2500
Brandon Jones +6600
Brendan Gaughan +6600
Ryan Reed +6600
Michael Annett +6600
Field +2200
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