Dean Etheridge
This weekend the NASCAR roadshow heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America Roval 400 race. This is the final Round of 12 race, so let’s see if we can predict the winner in our latest free NASCAR betting picks.
There are now only five races left of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. After this Sunday, we move onto the Round of 8, and then after those three races are complete we have the Championship 4 race from Phoenix on November 6th. Bringing down the curtain on what has been an unbelievably open and exciting NASCAR season.
And with the race for a place in the Round of 8 still wide open, there is plenty for the drivers to compete for this weekend. So let’s first take a look at the current state of play, before we look ahead to Sunday, and then also name our latest NASCAR betting picks.
What happened at the YellaWood 500?
After five playoff races, we’ve finally had a playoff-qualified driver win a race. Yes, Chase Elliott was the victorious driver at Talladega last Sunday, and as a result of his win, Elliott is the first driver confirmed through to the Round of 8.
Still thinking about this finish. @TALLADEGA | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/acgawoxiRM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 3, 2022
It was yet another close finish, with Elliott beating the unlucky Ryan Blaney into second place by just 0.046 of a second. Blaney has now finished second and fourth in the two Round of 12 races.
Elsewhere, and third place went to Michael McDowell, with Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin picking up vital points from their fourth and fifth positions. Cup series defending champion Kyle Larson finished down in 18th place.
2022 Cup Series Championship; Latest state of play
As a result of this win, Chase Elliott is through to the Round of 8.
The other seven slots are all still up for grabs. The winner of this weekend’s race is guaranteed one of the seven positions, with the rest determined by the driver’s points table. If no playoff-qualified driver wins at Charlotte, all seven spots will be decided by the points table.
Second on the road at Talladega last Sunday, Ryan Blaney (also second in the table) is now sitting pretty in the points table, just two points behind leader Chase Elliott, with Ross Chastain third, just six behind Elliott.
Denny Hamlin (-13), Joey Logano (-16), and Kyle Larson (-16) are next, with the final two positions in the top eight held by Daniel Suarez (-22), and Chase Briscoe (-34).
Playoff Standings: Entering @CLTMotorSpdwy Roval@chaseelliott can live stress free this week as he is the only driver into the Round of 8.
It's a very tight cutoff line, but considering the craziness at road courses this season nobody is safe.#NASCAR #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/GHtZsgqEyJ
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) October 2, 2022
Beneath the cut-off line are Austin Cindric (-34), William Byron (-44), Christopher Bell (-67), and Alex Bowman (-88).
The guy in the biggest danger is obviously Alex Bowman. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is currently 12th in the standings.
Bowman didn’t drive last Sunday due to concussion symptoms, and he isn’t certain to drive this weekend either. Rick Hendrick said it is in the hands of team doctors who would examine the driver to see if he’s fit to drive.
All this means that Chase Elliott (+225) is still the favorite to win the 2022 Cup Series with the best NASCAR betting sites. Elliott is followed in the betting odds by Denny Hamlin (+450), Joey Logano (+500), Kyle Larson (+600), Ryan Blaney (+600), and Ross Chastain (+700).
Odds are all courtesy of BetOnline. You can read more about this bookmaker in our BetOnline review.
Bank of America Roval 400; All you need to know
This is the last road-course race of the 2022 season. And with seven places in the Round of 8 still up for grabs, the race promises plenty of drama. The track is a mix of the road course and the oval, and there are 17 turns on the 2.28-mile-long circuit.
Last season Kyle Larson was victorious here. Larson’s win means that in the four years since the race switched to this hybrid variation, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won three times. Chase Elliott won in 2019 and 2020. While Ryan Blaney won in 2018.
- What; Bank of America Roval 400
- Where; Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
- When; Sunday, October 9th, 2022
- Time; 2 pm ET
- Laps; 109
- Distance; 400 KM (248 miles)
In the betting to win at Charlotte on Sunday, Chase Elliott is the +500 favorite. Elliott is just ahead of Tyler Reddick (+600), and Kyle Larson (+800). These three are quite some distance clear of the rest of the field with Denny Hamlin (+1200), William Byron (+1200), and AJ Allmendinger (+1200), next in the betting.
| Bank of America Roval 400 Winner Betting |  |  |
| Chase Elliott | +500 | +475 |
| Tyler Reddick | +600 | +550 |
| Kyle Larson | +800 | +775 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1200 | +1200 |
| William Byron | +1200 | +1300 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +1200 | +1600 |
| Joey Logano | +1400 | +1600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1400 | +1500 |
| Daniel Suarez | +1400 | +1800 |
| Ross Chastain | +1600 | +1800 |
| Christopher Bell | +1600 | +1700 |
| Austin Cindric | +1600 | +1600 |
| Chase Briscoe | +2000 | +2000 |
| Martin Truex Jr | +2500 | +2500 |
The fact that Elliott and Larson have won this race three times in the last three years, and that Reddick came second here last year seems to have affected the betting. Elliott and Reddick have also won the previous two races, which will also play a part in the odds.
Bank of America Roval 400 Betting Picks
Onto our NASCAR betting picks, and with the pressure off I’m first going for Chase Elliott. I’m not going big on the Hendrick Motorsports driver, as he is short at +500. I just think at this stage of the season the cream generally starts to rise to the top, so I’m happy to make Chase Elliott my first betting pick.
I’m also going for Elliott’s teammate, Kyle Larson. These two have dominated the race over the past three seasons, so why not make it four?
The defending champion could also do with a result this weekend and I expect him to be up to the challenge. So I’m making Kyle Larson my second NASCAR betting pick this weekend.
