2023 Pennzoil 150 Odds: Cup Series Drivers Lead Xfinity Field

After a run of three consecutive ovals, the Xfinity Series takes a turn with road courses as the regular season nearly wraps up. This week the grid heads to the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second road course race in three weeks. It’s a close battle at the top of the standings. John Hunter Nemechek‘s win in Michigan draws him even with Austin Hill at the top of the standings at 811 points apiece. But neither driver leads the 2023 Pennzoil 150 odds this weekend.

Cup Series regulars lead the way

NASCAR Cup Series drivers A.J. Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs lead the odds at +125 and +450, respectively.

Allmendinger already has a pair of wins in Xfinity races this season. Victories in Austin and Nashville and second in Sonoma make him one of the better road course drivers in the field this weekend. Last year, he won this Xfinity race from pole position and led the most laps. The year before, he started on pole and finished second. He’s heavily favored over the rest of the field for very good reasons.

Gibbs doesn’t have any wins like Allmendinger, but he’s still raced well in Xfinity action this season. Third in Austin, fourth in Sonoma and Michigan, and fifth in Charlotte are solid performances. He’s run well on road courses in both the Xfinity and Cup series. Last year, he took pole in Austin and later won at Road America in the Xfinity Series. This year, he finished in the top 10 in Austin and Chicago for the Cup Series. He only took eighth in this race last year. He’ll be higher in the order this time around.

Cole Custer’s the Xfinity driver with the shortest odds for victory this weekend at +700. Of the full-time Xfinity drivers this year, he’s been arguably the best road course racer. A win in Portland, pole position and a decisive victory in Chicago, and a top-10 finish in Sonoma are all strong results.

He’s been in a rough patch in finishing the last four races outside the top 10. That nearly equals his total from the first 17 races (five results outside the top 10). He needs to get a win sooner than later to stay within easy reach of Nemechek and Hill in the NASCAR standings.

Xfinity regulars close behind leading trio in 2023 Pennzoil 150 odds

Justin Allgaier (+1000) is next in odds for victory. Despite just one win in 2023 (Charlotte), he’s keeping pace with the Xfinity leaders. He’s in third but just 34 points behind Hill and Nemechek. Though his results aren’t the best in the last two weeks (18th at Road America, 14th in Michigan), that doesn’t tell the whole story. He led the most laps in Elkhart Lake and won the first two stages. Last week, he won stage 1 of the race as well.

He hasn’t had a top-three result since Chicago but could turn things around this weekend. Fifth in Austin, second in Portland, and seventh in Sonoma are promising results on race courses.

Five drivers are tied at +1600 for victory: Sheldon Creed, Nemechek, Ross Chastain, Sam Mayer, and Hill.

Creed’s been a solid driver on road courses this year. Ninth in Austin and 11th in Sonoma are good performances. He took pole position in Portland but couldn’t convert that to a win despite leading the most laps. He finished 23rd in this race last season but could see a bit of a bump up, thanks to a better year overall.

Nemechek’s been on a rollercoaster lately. Wins in Atlanta and Loudon preceded 32nd in Pocono and 34th in Elkhart Lake. He followed that rough back-to-back performance with a win in Michigan. He’s never raced at the Indianapolis Road Course at any level of his NASCAR career. He’s been solid at some road or street courses this year, with 10th place in Portland, 16th in Sonoma, and second in Chicago. Given his form this year, he’ll likely be near the front, but a win will be challenging given the Cup Series competition.

Speaking of Cup Series competition, Chastain makes his fourth appearance in an Xfinity event in the NASCAR schedule for this weekend. Chastain was fighting for the win at the Cup Series event last season thanks to evasive action that kept him out of a wreck in Turn 1. He’ll be a strong contender for his first Xfinity win of the season this weekend.

Mayer’s been the best Xfinity driver over the last three races. Second in Pocono, a win in Elkhart Lake and fifth in Michigan is the best stretch he’s had all season. He’s also finished in the top 10 in Austin (seventh), Portland (third), and Sonoma (10th). These results, plus his recent pace, put him in a prime position for a good result here. Look for him to be in a NASCAR duel with some of the top Xfinity drivers of the season for an excellent finish.

While Nemechek has more wins in recent weeks, Hill’s keeping pace thanks to his incredible consistency. He’s notched nine top-five finishes in the last 12 NASCAR races. In that time, Nemechek managed seven. Hill’s improved at road courses as the season’s worn on. Fifth in Portland, eighth in Sonoma, fifth in Chicago, and third at Road America are great results leading up to this week. He could surprise you with his first road course win in his Xfinity career.

Predictions for the Pennzoil 150

These road courses to close the regular season give the Xfinity drivers a new challenge ahead of the playoffs. Indianapolis is no different, and the 2023 Pennzoil 150 odds reflect how important road course skill is in these closing rounds.

Allmendinger’s the easy bet here among the favorites. He’s got a great combination of success this season at different tracks, at this track in prior seasons, and overall success in road course formats.

Mayer or Chastain are great choices if you’re looking for a better payout. The former’s been a solid road course racer this season, and the latter’s shown his ability at Indianapolis before.

For NASCAR betting news, NASCAR odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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