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The biggest day of the year in motorsports deserves a big piece of betting content as well.
Sunday’s auto racing goodness gets underway with Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix at 9 a.m. ET, followed by the 106th running of the Indy 500 at 12:45 p.m. ET, and concludes with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season, at 6 p.m. ET (FOX).
Because Sunday’s motorsports schedule is so loaded, I decided to tap each of the Action Network’s verified NASCAR experts for their favorite Coca-Cola 600 bet ahead of tonight’s race.
And before you scroll on, be sure to download the FREE Action Network App to track all of our verified experts and their full betting cards for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, including the bets highlighted below.
In addition, please note that we’ll continue to update this piece as more best bet picks are submitted, so be sure to check back often between now and Sunday evening’s green flag.
NASCAR Picks: Coca-Cola 600
*Odds as of Sunday morning
Coca-Cola 600 Future Picks
— Kyle Busch +650 to Win (PJ Walsh — The Action Network)
Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch swept the top four spots in qualifying on Saturday, and I’m eyeing the driver of the No. 18 to get it done tonight.
At Las Vegas earlier this season, Busch looked to be cruising to victory before a late, ill-timed caution resulted in differing pit strategies that ultimately ruined his chances for a win.
And at Kansas, Busch was once again one of the fastest drivers, finishing third while posting the second-best driver rating.
If you’re just now getting around to building your Coca-Cola 600 betting cards, backing Busch is a great way to start.
— William Byron 12-1 to Win (Jim Sannes — NumberFire)
My numbers were big on Byron entering the week, and he obviously took a hit on Saturday with all the speed that Toyotas showed during practice and qualifying.
But the Hendrick cars had giddy-up, too.
Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman followed Martin Truex Jr. in five-lap averages, and Byron was the highest-qualifying non-Toyota.
Plus, it’s not as if Byron was slow in practice, holding the eighth-best five-lap average and fifth-best 10-lap mark. Still, Byron lengthened from +1000 to +1200, long enough to make him a value.
My numbers have Byron winning 9.6% of the time, up from his implied odds of 7.7%.
— Denny Hamlin 11-1 to Win (Jordan McAbee — Fantasy Racing Online)
I was already on Hamlin at 12-1 earlier in the week, and then he went out and won the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
Most books moved him much shorter, but BallyBet has kept Hamlin at 11-1 on race day.
The Toyotas have all of the speed right now, and even though Martin Truex, Jr. looked the best in practice on Saturday, there’s no doubt that all of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas (and even 23XI Racing cars) are going to be fast on Sunday.
Hamlin has the best pit crew in the Cup Series and the best track position to start the race. He should be able to stay up front all night and compete for his first Charlotte win.
Coca-Cola 600 Prop Bet Picks
— Toyota +135 to Win (Stephen Young — RotoGrinders)
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has won three of the last six Charlotte oval races and is the team to beat this weekend. I wanted to take JGR to win at +150, but I don’t want Kurt Busch to spoil the fun.
In practice on Saturday, Toyota had four of the top five cars on short and long runs.
Looking back to Kansas, three of the top four cars in speed were Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Christopher Bell.
Even looking back to Las Vegas earlier this season, Toyota had three of the top six fastest cars. I think Toyota has hit on something with these intermediate tracks and I like its chances to bring home the win this weekend.
— Ryan Preece 200-1 for Top Ford (Nick Giffen – The Action Network)
Books have mispriced Preece as a backmarker, but he’s essentially in a Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) car. By comparison, his SHR “teammates” are listed between +550 and +1200 at WynnBET for this same prop.
Preece was 12th in five-lap average in practice, and the last time he raced in this car he was quite fast, hanging out on the lead lap until he dropped a cylinder.
If you don’t use WynnBET, sign up today and grab this generous line. Preece should be about 20-1 instead of 200-1.
Coca-Cola 600 Driver Matchup Picks
— William Byron -105 over Ryan Blaney (Derek Yoder — Garage Guys)
When looking at a number of key betting positions for this race, I found one that is an absolute no-brainer. Right now at DraftKings Sportsbook, William Byron (-105) is currently an underdog to Ryan Blaney, but I think by the start of the race on Sunday, this line could flip.
After listening to some of the radio communication during practice, it was Byron saying he was “happy with his car” and how he could “pick up a few tenths when trying a different line.”
On the flip side, Blaney was not happy, and described the car being ” very loose” while also mentioning how he was frustrated and struggling to fix the car conditions.
On Sunday, Byron will start fifth, while Blaney starts 11th.
In the longest race of the year, I need to put my faith in the driver that has the best ability to find the lead and who has the better of the two pit crews.