NASCAR heads to Dix, New York, this weekend to take on Watkins Glen International. The 2.45-mile circuit hosted its first NASCAR race in 1957. It’s been on and off the circuit over the years, and the time of year it’s been raced has also shifted around. Last year, it was a playoff track; this year, it’s a key race in the lead-up to the NASCAR Playoffs. Let’s jump into this week’s NASCAR picks, odds, and best bets for the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen.
Last year was a thriller as Chris Buescher and Shane Van Gisbergen battled head-to-head and door-to-door in the closing laps of the race, with Buescher coming out victorious. The Kiwi driver Van Gisbergen, who raced with Kaulig on a limited Cup Series schedule. Has won the last three road/street course races running full-time as a rookie with Trackhouse Racing. To no surprise, he is once again the heavy favorite this week.
NASCAR is down to just three final races before the playoffs begin. The pressure is on for every team that doesn’t have a win, and even more for those around the current points cut line. After this week, it’s Richmond and Daytona remaining, both of which produced new winners from outside the playoff picture last year.
NASCAR Picks: Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen Odds and Best Bets
Shane Van Gisbergen +140
Connor Zilisch +550
Christopher Bell +900
Kyle Larson +1000
Tyler Reddick +1600
Chase Elliott +1600
William Byron +1600
Ty Gibbs +1800
Michael McDowell +18000
Chris Buescher +2000
AJ Allmendinger +2200
Chase Briscoe +2500
Ross Chastain +3000
Alex Bowman +4000
Kyle Busch +5000
Carson Hocevar +5000
Denny Hamlin +6000
Ryan Preece +6000
Austin Cindric +8000
Joey Logano +8000
Daniel Suarez +8000
Ryan Blaney +8000
Brad Keselowski +12500
Todd Gililand +15000
Bubba Wallace +20000
Riley Herbst +35000
John Hunter Nemechek +35000
Cole Custer +35000
Zane Smith +35000
Noah Gragson +35000
Justin Haley +35000
Erik Jones +35000
Josh Berry +50000
Ty Dillon +50000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +50000
Austin Dillon +50000
Josh Bilicki +100000
Cody Ware +100000
Katherine Legge +200000
JJ Yeley +200000
NASCAR Picks: Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen Odds and Best Bets
Zane Smith Over Carson Hocevar (+145)
The wonderful people over at DraftKings are leaning into these two drivers matched up against each other after their on-track beef last week at Iowa. And, we get one side of it at a great plus money price. Hocevar has the big flashy name and has shown a ton of speed lately, but he’s not always finished well. Add on to that, there’s no easier place to knock someone out of the way and make it look like a racing deal than road courses. Ask Josh Berry, who did it to Hocevar at Sonoma. Hocevar has a lot of enemies right now, looking for a piece of him.
Hocevar hasn’t finished well on road courses this season either. After a 13th place run at COTA, he has finishes of 34th in Mexico, 35th in Chicago, and 32nd at Sonoma. Yet, he’s the -200 side of this equation. On the other side, Zane Smith has won the head-to-head at two in a row with finishes of 27th at Sonoma and 14th at Chicago. He finished one spot behind Hocevar at Mexico City. You may look at last year’s chaotic race and say Hocevar finished in third place. He did, but Smith was hot on his heels in fifth and doesn’t have a laundry list of drivers looking to get him. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but at this price, with what we’ve seen, I love Smith in this matchup.
William Byron Over Kyle Larson (-110)
Kyle Larson may be one of the best race car drivers in the world and one of the better road course racers in NASCAR. But he’s been off lately. Ever since the crash in the Indianapolis 500. We haven’t had the same Larson, and to be honest, he’s been atrocious on road courses this year. In the three true road course races we’ve been to, Larson’s average finish is 34.3. That’s not a mis-type. 34.3, when there are only 36 full-time cars in the field. He was 32nd at COTA, 36th in Mexico, and 35th at Sonoma. Byron in those races was second, ninth, and eighth, respectively. Plan and simple, Larson can’t be trusted right now, and Byron can. Makes this head-to-head an easy one.
Chase Briscoe Top 10 (-120)
Briscoe has been a darling for the NASCAR Gambling Podcast the last few weeks. Last week he cashed the top 10, top five, and top Toyota parts of our “Car Lift” (like a ladder in football) bet. By finishing second, he was one spot and a few drops of fuel away from hitting the 19/1 outright to top it off. I’m riding all of the same things with him again this week, but it all starts with the top 10 bet. He’s finished second in three of the last four races and top 10 in seven of the last 12. At Sonoma, he clearly has the best car in the field besides the “rocket ship” of Van Gisbergen, as Briscoe put it. He also finished seventh in Mexico City.
In 4 of the last 7 races, Chase Briscoe has had top 4 finish.
Currently also has four straight front row starts! Going back further in 7 of the last 11 races he’s started on the front row, highlighted by 5 poles.
Another “Rocket Man” from Indiana?
— Ryan (@ifantasyrace) August 4, 2025
Martin Truex Jr was fast here last year, starting on the front row and winning stage one in this car. Briscoe scored a sixth-place finish in a subpar, lame-duck Stewart-Haas Racing car. All we need for this bet to cash is a simple top 10 from one of the hottest drivers in the garage.
Shane Van Gisbergen to Win (+150)
I’ve been on team this number is too low to bet for SVG the last few road course races, but clearly I was wrong. He’s dominated and won three straight road/street courses, and there’s nothing to make me believe that’ll end this week. He’s been virtually unchallenged, and while anything can happen, I suggest having a few insurance plays in your back pocket (Byron, Gibbs, and Briscoe for me). I’m all in on Van Gisbergen this week. Not only is his car and team situation drastically different this year. He’s also much improved on these “traditional courses” that NASCAR runs. He just proved it at Sonoma, and he comes into this one remembering his mistake cost him last year. Like Max Verstappen a few years ago in F1, or Kyle Busch in trucks circa 2019, don’t overthink it and go with the best road course talent there is right now.
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