2021 Goodyear 400 Expert Picks and Predictions

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series will be moving on to the second race of the month, with the upcoming Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway down in South Carolina. Have you made your picks yet? If you’re still on the fence, you can let the experts break down which drivers you should be keeping a close eye on.

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Expert Picks and Predictions for the Goodyear 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race on May 9, 2021

Where: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina

When: Sunday, May 9, 2021, green flag at 3:30 PM ET

Broadcast: FS1/MRN

Line: View current odds for Goodyear 400

Sportsline

Expert | High on
SportsLine | William Byron

SportsLine thinks that William Byron (+1600) can make huge waves this weekend in South Carolina. Byron has already reserved his spot in the playoffs with a win in the Dixie Vodka 400 back in February at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It makes sense to feel good about Byron. He has placed inside the top 10 in all of his last nine starts, including a ninth-place finish in last week’s Buschy McBusch Race 400. Byron was fifth in the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500, the last time he appeared at the Darlington Raceway.

ATS.io

Expert | Confident in
Adam B | Kevin Harvick

Harvick is winless so far this season, but Adam B of ATS.io is feeling good about the driver’s chances of finally taking the checkered flag this weekend. Harvick, who is +700 to win the 2021 Goodyear 400 at TopBet sportsbook, has come on strong of late. He finished fourth in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway then was the runner-up to Kyle Busch in the Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas Speedway. Harvick has four top 5s in 11 starts this season. He also has three wins in 26 career starts at Darlington Raceway.

Fantasy Racing Online

Expert | Favorites
Jordan McAbee | Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr.

Sure, this is a fantasy site, but when a driver that’s projected to be good in fantasy is also likely going to put up a solid performance in real life. That’s how Fantasy Racing Online is viewing Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr. Larson (+450) has a career average finish of 6.67 in six races at Darlington Raceway. Hamlin (+550) has three wins there in 17 career starts. Lastly, Truex (+750) has a win at Darlington Raceway along with a couple of Top 5s and eight top 10s in 17 career starts on that track.

TopBet News Editor | Ryan Simpson

Expert | Pick
TopBet News Editor | Ryan Simpson | Erik Jones

Here’s what TopBet’s Ryan Simpson said about Erik Jones in our preview of the 2021 Goodyear 400 race:

“Jones is way behind the playoff cut, but now comes a great chance for him to secure a ticket to the postseason, as he’s always showed out when he’s in South Carolina. In fact, among all active drivers, Jones owns the best average finish at Darlington Raceway (5.17) albeit in just six races. He’s got one win there, topping the field at the 2019 Bojangles’ Southern 500.”

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