2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200: Cup Series drivers favored

While the NASCAR Cup Series kicks off its round of 16 this weekend, the Xfinity Series has two more regular season races to go before the playoffs begin. The first of those two NASCAR races is Saturday at Darlington Raceway. Though plenty of racers could take victory, multiple Cup Series drivers are partaking in the 2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 and lead the odds for victory.

Larson, Cup Series racers lead the odds this weekend

Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch are appearing in the Xfinity Series race this weekend. Given their experience and track record, they lead the NASCAR betting odds for the weekend.

Larson takes the top spot in the odds at +190. It makes sense; he’s one of Darlington’s best Cup Series drivers by average finish, second only to Hamlin. He won the Xfinity Series race at Darlington in May. He’ll certainly be fighting for the win once again.

This is Hamlin’s (+225) first Xfinity race of 2023. This is his first Xfinity Series race since this event in 2021 when he led the most laps and finished 12th. He’s won five Xfinity races in Darlington (2006, 2007, 2010, 2015, and 2017) all from pole position.

It’s been a long break from the Xfinity Series for Hamlin, but he’s one of the NASCAR favorites this weekend for good reason. He has the most wins and best average finish at Darlington among active Cup Series drivers. He’ll likely be right there with Larson, looking for a win.

Busch (+550) is another Cup Series driver with a solid track record in Darlington. Though not quite the same as Hamlin or Larson, he’s managed 14 top-10 results in 23 races, including one win. He’s routinely near the sharp end of the grid by the chequered flag.

This is his fifth NASCAR weekend schedule with an Xfinity race in 2023 after racing in zero events last year. He’s yet to win an Xfinity event this season after going five for five in 2021. He’s won two Xfinity events at Darlington in 2011 and 2013. He finished second in his last Xfinity race there in 2020. It’s been a while, but Busch looks poised for another strong result this weekend.

Justin Allgaier at +650 makes him the top Xfinity regular in odds for victory this weekend. His win at Daytona last week and a poor result from John Hunter Nemechek vaulted him to second in the standings behind Austin Hill.

Allgaier raced well to finish second behind Larson in the May Darlington race. He’s won that event in 2022 and 2021. He’s been less successful in the fall Darlington race, but that could change thanks to his Daytona win.

Nemechek rounds out the favorites at +900. One of the championship leaders all season, Nemechek’s been inconsistent since his consecutive wins in Atlanta and Loudon. He finished 32nd in Pocono and 34th in Road America before winning in Michigan. Then he could only manage 13th in Indianapolis, sixth in Watkins Glen, and 28th last week in Daytona.

He’s dropped to third in the NASCAR standings behind Allgaier but remains close enough to Hill at the top to stay in the hunt for the title. Though he only finished fifth in the May Darlington race, he took pole position and led the most laps there.

2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 sleepers worth considering

Cole Custer (+1800) continued his latest improvement in form with fifth place in Daytona last week. That comes after seventh in Watkins Glen and sixth in Indianapolis. All are an improvement over his rough patch from Loudon through Road America.

Darlington may be one of his best tracks on the Xfinity calendar. He won in 2019 and took second in 2018. The fall Darlington race was also one of the better events in his Cup Series career, with multiple top-15 finishes.

Championship leader Hill (+1800) looked poised for a Daytona sweep last week. Pole position, stage 1 win, and the most laps led. But a wreck on the final lap triggered by Trevor Bayne took him out of the running, and he wound up 23rd. Last time out in Darlington, he managed fourth behind Larson, Custer, and Allgaier. Could he make good on the promise he showed last week and widen the gap at the top of the standings?

Sheldon Creed (+2200) missed out on a win last week by just 0.005 seconds to Allgaier. That would’ve been his first career Xfinity win. He’s been one of the better Xfinity drivers over the last few weeks, with eighth in Indianapolis and second in Watkins Glen. Last year, he finished second at this event as well. He could use the momentum from the past few races to go one better this weekend.

Picks for the 2023 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200

With the start of the Cup Series playoffs bringing drivers to the Xfinity event, this weekend marks a more significant challenge than usual for the Xfinity grid.

Of the favorites, Hamlin looks like the best choice. Since the start of two Darlington events per year in the Xfinity Series, no driver has swept both races. It’d be a surprise to see Larson do that his weekend.

Nemechek looks like the best choice of sleepers, and Creed is close behind. Either will get you a nice payout compared to the favorites.

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

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