Trent Reinsmith
- What: YellaWood 500
- Date: Sunday, October 1, 2023
- Location: Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama
- Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: NBC and NBC Sports App
The second race of the Round of 12 in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs takes place Sunday, October 1, at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race, the YellaWood 500, marks the 109th time the NASCAR Cup Series has visited the 2.66-mile oval. Here is some background on the race before we look at the betting breakdown of the YellaWood 500.
Chase Elliott is the reigning champion of the YellaWood 500, winning the Talladega Fall Race in 2022. He finished the Spring Race at Talladega in 12th place. Elliott also won the Spring Race in 2019. Kyle Busch won that race, the Geico 500. Busch placed 18th at the 2022 YellaWood 500. Busch’s previous win on the track came in 2008. Dale Earnhardt Sr. has the record for most wins on the superspeedway with 10. As for active drivers, Brad Keselowski has the most wins on the track with six. His most recent victory came in April 2021.
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race will go from 12 drivers to eight following the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course race on October 8. The top 12 drivers in the points race right now are: William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch. Sixty-one points separate the No. 1 driver from No. 12.
Before we look at the odds, betting picks, and predictions for the 2023 YellaWood 500 from the Talladega Superspeedway, check out the best betting sites for NASCAR, as well as our tips on how to bet on NASCAR.
2023 YellaWood 500 500 betting picks
Brad Keselowski
With six career wins at Talladega, no active driver has as many victories on the superspeedway as Brad Keselowski. The driver of the No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing, has been excellent as of late with five straight top-10 finishes, including placing second at Daytona. The downside for the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion is that Keselowski hasn’t won a race since he placed first on this track in the Spring Race in 2021.
Since winning that race, Keselowski has placed second, 23rd, and 24th. His most recent finish on this track was fifth this spring.
Keselowski is seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff point race with 3045. He finished in seventh place last weekend in Texas.
Chase Elliott
He’s not in the playoff hunt, but Chase Elliott is still racing like he has something to prove. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion has finished inside the top 10 in five of the last seven races, and he just missed the top 10 last weekend when he placed 11th in Texas. The driver of the No. 9 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports has two wins at Talladega, including his checkered flag in this race last year.
Elliott has finished inside the top 15 in eight of his last 10 appearances on superspeedway tracks. He has two DNFs, which both came at Daytona. Elliott placed 12th in the spring race on this track.
Ryan Blaney
Ryan Blaney is currently on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff bubble. The driver of the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske, Blaney, is in 11th place in the points race with 3028, which puts him 11 points away from the top eight drivers. Blaney, who has never finished a NASCAR season higher than seventh place, has been struggling a bit as of late, with zero top-10 finishes in his past three outings.
Blaney has two wins at Talladega, and he comes into this race after finishing in second place in the past two competitions on the superspeedway.
Blaney’s only win this year came at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.
Best bets to win the 2023 YellaWood 500 at Talladega
Chase Elliott has 27 starts on superspeedways with six top-five finishes and 330 laps led. With how well he races on these tracks, Elliott is among the betting favorites to win the YellaWood 500. He is our betting pick to win the race at Talladega.
Best 2023 NASCAR 2023 YellaWood 500 pick: Chase Elliott to win.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
