The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series zooms into Concord, North Carolina this week for the 2022 Coca-Cola 600. This will be the 124th time that a NASCAR Cup race will be held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson won the 2021 Coca-Cola 600. Will he be able to defend his title? With that said, let’s check out some of the favorites, sleepers, and a long shot for this upcoming race.
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Betting Preview for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series Race on May 29, 2022
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
When: Sunday, May 29, 2022, green flag at 6:00 PM ET
Broadcast: FOX
Line: View current odds for Coca-Cola 600
FAVORITES
Kyle Busch (odds)
Busch finished just 21st in the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race, but prior to that, he had three top 10s in four starts, including a third-place at the 2022 AdventHealth 400. Even more important to note about Busch heading to this weekend’s race is the fact that he’s got six top 10s in his last seven starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. That includes his win at the 2018 Coca-Cola 600. The last time he was there, he finished in last year’s edition of the Coca-Cola 600. Overall, Busch has 15 top 5s in 33 career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson (odds)
Larson also had a sub-20 finish at the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race, but that shouldn’t diminish the way he’s being looked at as one of the best drivers this season. The Hendricks Motorsports driver now has six top 5s and seven top 10s this season across 12 starts. As for his resume at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it’s a great one. In fact, Larson has won in three of his last four races there, including last year’s Coca-Cola 600, where he led for 327 laps.
Chase Elliott (odds)
Elliott is looking to snap out of a mini-slump, having failed to finish better than 23rd in each of his past two starts overall. It’s not hard to believe that Elliott will have a big performance coming right up, considering that he’s already got three top 5s and nine opt 10s in 12 starts this season. And get this: Elliott has cracked the top four in each of his last four appearances at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
SLEEPERS
Kevin Harvick (odds)
Here’s what we said about Harvick in our 2022 Coca-Cola 600 sleepers piece:
Harvick is still looking for his first win of the season, and the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 will present the veteran another shot to finally break through with a victory. He’s been steady of late, finishing inside the top 20 in all his last five starts, with three top 10s in that stretch. And Harvick has always been a strong performer whenever he’s in Concord, as underscored by his career average finish of 14.8 across 39 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He’s also won there three times and has not finished worse than 10th in any of his last five appearances on the said track.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (odds)
Here’s what we said about Stenhouse in our 2022 Coca-Cola 600 sleepers piece:
Stenhouse has been pretty decent this season even though he’s yet to win a race. For one, he’s already got a total of four top 10s, three of those coming from his past five starts; he finished runner up at Dover and then followed that up with back-to-back 8th places at Darlington and Kansas, respectively. At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Stenhouse has a career average finish of 17.1 over 17 starts on the strength of a couple of top 5s, three top 10s, and 12 top 20s. Moreover, Stenhouse has cracked the top 5 in three of his last five appearances at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
LONG SHOT
Michael McDowell (odds)
Ranked 24th in the standings, McDowell has a pair of top 10s over his last five starts. Overall this season, he has four top 10s in 12 starts.
Writer’s Prediction
Kevin Harvick wins the 2022 Coca-Cola 600.
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