The engines are going to rev loud this coming Sunday, as the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kick off at the Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Of course, the names of Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin are being discussed the most to win in the Round of 16. You can view our breakdown of who the favorites for the Cook Out (or “Cookout”) Southern 500 will be right here. However, bettors should not ignore the sleepers. Read below for some insight and be sure to hedge your wagers accordingly.
Almirola finished the regular season winless, as he settled for just an 18th-place finish at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. However, he’s secured a ticket to the playoffs thanks to a strong midseason. It could be remembered that Almirola had a seven-start stretch from July to the All-Star race in which he finished each race no worse than ninth. Since 2017, Almirola has an average finish of 14.0 in five starts at Darlington Raceway.
Alex Bowman (+2200)
Bowman’s last win came way back in March at the Auto Club 400, and it still is his only victory to date this year. However, Bowman has flirted with success of late, with back-to-back top 7s to end the regular season. Bowman finished seventh and fifth at the Drydene 311 and at the Coke Zero Sugar 400, respectively. Just last May, Bowman finished runner-up to Kevin Harvick at the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway.
William Byron (+3300)
Byron saved his best for last, as he won his first race of the season just last week at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Prior to that, he finished fourth at the Drydene 311. Byron only has four career races at Darlington Raceway and only has an average finish of 25.75 there. However, he had a career-best 12th-place finish at the track last May.
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