For the first time in the 75-year history of NASCAR, the series will head to a street course. This is a regular occurrence for open-wheel motorsports series like Formula One and IndyCar. This will be a big test for the much bigger, heavier “stock cars” of NASCAR. If things go well, this could lead to NASCAR visiting places like New York City, the streets of Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, maybe even presenting more opportunities for international destinations.
Formula One champion Jenson Button, IMSA driver Andy Lally and three-time Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen are all on this week’s entry list. 7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was also scheduled to compete, but due to a tragedy in the family, has withdrawn from the Chicago Street Course Race.
The biggest thing to remember when betting on and playing DFS contests this week. This is an event. More than a race, this is an event that NASCAR is putting on an entire weekend of music and racing.
As we talked about on this week’s NASCAR GAMBLING PODCAST, nobody knows what to expect or what might happen in this Chicago Street Course Race. With that being said, we plan on betting on this like a superspeedway race. Look for value, and plan for chaos. Go into this expecting to lose it all and take any wins you get as a bonus. This type of betting on racing can be one of the most fun ways to do it!
NASCAR Grant Park 220 at Chicago Street Course Odds, Best Bets, and DFS Plays
Betting Odds (Superbook Sportsbook)
Chase Elliott +500
Martin Truex Jr +800
Tyler Reddick +800
AJ Allmendinger +900
Kyle Larson +900
Kyle Busch +1000
William Byron +1000 (Caesars Sportsbook is offering a +1700 boost on Byron)
Ross Chastain +1500
Chris Buescher +1800
Austin Cindric +2000
Christopher Bell +2500
Daniel Suarez +2500
Denny Hamlin +3000
Michael McDowell +3000
Alex Bowman +4000
Ryan Blaney +4000
Ty Gibbs +4000
Brad Keselowski +6000
Chase Briscoe +6000
Shane Van Gisbergen +6000
Aric Almirola +10000
Austin Dillion +10000
Bubba Wallace +10000
Erik Jones +10000
Jenson Button +10000
Justin Haley +10000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +10000
Todd Gilliland +10000
Corey Lajoie +20000
Harrison Burton +20000
Noah Gragson +20000
Ryan Preece +20000
Andy Lally +100000
Ty Dillion +100000
Josh Bilicki +100000
Ty Gibbs Top 10 Finish (+175 Bet365)
Ty Gibbs has proven he can score top 10 finishes at this level, and in his short NASCAR career, has proven he knows his way around road courses. Gibbs won his first-ever Xfinity Series race on the Daytona road course and has gone on to win a total of three Xfinity road course races.
Earlier this season, Gibbs scored a top 10 finish at COTA as part of his four-race top 10 streak. Toyota has shown vast improvement this season on the road course, winning both events thus far in the 2023 season. With 37 cars in the field, if he can survive any chaos that may ensue, Gibbs only needs to be in the top quarter of finishers to cash this bet at the Chicago Street Course.
Austin Cindric Top Ford Driver (+600 Bet365)
Cindric has raced sports cars, Road to Indy, F2000, Historic Sports Car, and IMSA. All of that experience gives him an advantage not many other drivers in this field have. For the Ford contingent, it’s been a very up-and-down year. Looking back to last week, 11th place with Brad Keselowski was enough to be the top Ford in the race.
Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Kevin Harvick should be tough competition, but Ford hasn’t won on a road course since 2018 and doesn’t boast a strong lineup of “road racers.” This is the perfect place to get in on Cindric, who can score a great finish, but might not even need to cash this one.
Justin Haley to Win Group B (+380 Caesars Sportsbook)
Drivers in Group: Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Austin Dillion, Bubba Wallace, and Ryan Preece.
None of these drivers scream out to you this guy is a road course star. You could probably throw a dart and pick any of these drivers to win this group. Again this race could be survival of the fittest, and this is another bet where you can get solid positive odds without having to land in the top 10 or top five.
All he has to do is beat out five other drivers, which means he can do so by finishing 31st, if it comes to that. Haley quietly gets it done every week. You can usually find him from 15th-25th, with a 32nd at Daytona as his worst finish.
At Sonoma, Haley brought it home in 21st and at COTA 19th. Last season at the Roval, he finished fifth, 18th at Watkins Glen, 19th at Indy Road Course, 24th at Road America, 12th at Sonoma, and 15th at COTA.
Consistency. Haley has never finished worse than 24th on a road course in the next-gen era, and that’s all we’re asking for this week. Keep it in one piece and bring it home in front of a couple of other drivers.
Kyle Busch to Win (+1200 Caesars Sportsbook)
Busch already has three wins to his name in 2023. Joining Richard Childress Racing has brought a revival to his career. In the two road course events we’ve had so far in 2023, COTA and Sonoma, Busch has finished second place in both. That number 8 car won twice on road courses last year, and the car number, along with Crew Chief Randall Burnett, are the winningest in NASCAR and on road courses in the Next Gen era.
Some drivers near the top of the odds board are appealing for their road course racing prowess, but with so much unknown around this race, it’s hard to want to lay a 5/1 outright bet. Busch gives you a great opportunity to cash and a great price.
Ty Gibbs to Win (+5000 DraftKings Sportsbook)
I made the case for Gibbs to collect a top-10 finish above. Gibbs is in a car, on a team capable of winning week in and week out. His crew won the pit stop competition at the All-Star race earlier this season. There are a few scenarios where Gibbs could win this.
Outright is the best car, putting himself in position late, getting track position on pit road, surviving the chaos, and being the last man standing. At 50/1, Ty Gibbs could win his first of many Cup Series races this weekend at the Chicago Street Course.
DraftKings DFS Drivers to Watch
Chris Buescher $8,500
Buescher has scored seven top-10 finishes in a row on road courses. You have to go back to Buscher’s first three career starts on road courses in 2015 and 2016 for the last time he finished worse than 21st on a road course. Again, everything this week is unknown, and Buescher could easily fall victim to something that isn’t his fault, even more so this week. However, with that kind of consistency and this price Buescher is a drive you need to include in lineups this week.
Andy Lally $5,000
I’m all aboard the Andy Lally train this week. Check out the NASCAR GAMBLING PODCAST for more ways I’m in on him. Lally has competed in the American Le Mans Series. He’s a three-time IMSA champion and holds the most ever top three, top fives, and wins in the GT Class.
Lally has scored nine top-10 finishes in his 23 Xfinity Series starts and has been racing sports cars since 1993. I understand he’s in a Rick Ware Racing car, but with his expertise and experience, Lally can avoid the chaos and use those things in his favor. As far as a cheap punt play goes, Lally is the guy and provides a solid bit of upside as well.
