Byron leads favorites in Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Odds
He's won three Cup Series races this year. Can he get a win in the Xfinity Series this weekend?
The NASCAR Xfinity Series had a week off following a surprise result at Dover Motor Speedway. Ryan Truex won his second career NASCAR race after taking the lead with just two laps left ahead of Carson Kvapil.
The Xfinity Series returns in Darlington this week, and the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Odds favor a Cup Series regular for victory.
Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Odds: Favorites
William Byron (+265)
Byron’s racing in the Xfinity Series for the second time this season on Saturday. He unsurprisingly leads these NASCAR odds because he’s tied for the Cup Series lead in wins with three.
Darlington’s a unique track and Byron’s been a standout racer there lately. He won the spring Cup Series event there last season and finished fourth in the fall race.
He managed fifth in his sole Xfinity Series race there back in 2017. He’s struggled a bit lately with back-to-back poor performances in Dover and Kansas but could use this race to bounce back in a big way on Sunday.
Justin Allgaier (+350)
Following Allgaier’s strong run to third in Texas, the JR Motorsports driver’s had rough outings in Talladega (classified 38th) and Dover (finished 17th).
It’s his worst two-race stretch of the last calendar year following a mixed start to the season.
But few drivers on the Xfinity grid can match his recent success in Darlington at any track. Allgaier has finished outside the top eight just once in the last 10 races there.
He won this event in 2021 and 2022. Last year, he finished second in this event and seventh in the fall Darlington race. He should be a near-lock for the top five at the very least and a strong contender for victory.
Cole Custer (+600)
Custer managed fifth last time out in Dover even after winning Stage Two and leading the most laps. It did keep his streak of top-10 results alive, though, with eight in a row starting in round three in Atlanta.
That consistency’s the reason why he’s second in the Xfinity Series standings by just one point behind two-time race winner Chandler Smith.
Custer’s track record at Darlington is impressive. He’s finished in the top 10 in all five Xfinity Series races he’s entered there. He won the fall race in 2019 and finished third and fourth in last year’s two events there.
The defending champion still hasn’t notched a victory this season. Darlington could be the place to change that.
Sheldon Creed (+800)
Creed earned his fourth top-five finish of the season in Dover with fourth place by the chequered flag. That marked his best result since Phoenix after an inconsistent stretch of races.
Darlington’s been an enigma in the Xfinity Series for Creed. He swept both races in the Camping World Truck Series in 2021 before moving full-time to the Xfinity Series. In four races at this level in Darlington, Creed struggled in the spring event (38th in 2022 and 25th in 2023) but did well in the fall (second and eighth).
Which Darlington Creed will we get for the NASCAR race this weekend? It’s hard to tell and may be tough to back with a bet.
Aric Almirola (+800)
The last time Almirola raced in the Xfinity Series, he took a dominant win in Martinsville. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had that success following a strong run to second in Richmond in which he led the most laps and won both stages.
He’s been solid but unspectacular at Darlington throughout his Cup Series career. In his last 10 races there, Almirola finished in the top 10 just twice but outside of the top 20 just twice as well.
He hasn’t run an Xfinity Series race here since 2011, but that didn’t hurt his chances in Martinsville.
Sleepers
John Hunter Nemechek (+1000)
At +1000, Nemechek’s not much of a sleeper but offers a good payout option for a strong contender. This weekend marks Nemechek’s first Xfinity Series race since Austin.
In five NASCAR races in the series this season, he’s grabbed a win (Las Vegas) and two top-10 finishes (Austin and Daytona).
Nemechek had strong races in Darlington last season but couldn’t get through for victory. He started from pole position and led the most laps in both races. In this race he finished fifth and he managed third in the fall race.
A year earlier, he finished fourth and ninth. He has the track record to offer great confidence as a sleeper.
Sam Mayer (+1600)
Aside from a rough result in Talladega, Mayer’s been one of the top drivers in the Xfinity Series recently. He finished second in Martinsville, won in Texas, and finished third in Dover.
That’s a strong turn of form from his results through the first four races.
His results in Darlington in the Xfinity Series are solid. Fifth in this event in 2022 and eighth last year are strong results compared to the field. He finished 11th in both years at the fall race.
Talladega could be an aberration and that leaves him in good shape for a strong result this weekend.
AJ Allmendinger (+1800)
Allmendinger’s mixed form in 2024 continued with sixth place in Dover. That marks his fifth top-10 result of the season. In the other five events, he’s finished 25th on average.
Allmendinger raced well in Darlington during his last full Xfinity Series season. In 2022, he finished eighth and third in the two events that season.
He managed 13th and 20th in 2021 so it may be more of a one-off than a sign of success. But at these NASCAR odds, he could be worth a shot.
Carson Kvapil (+3300)
Kvapil’s entering just his third career Xfinity Series race this weekend. His last two events saw him finish second in Dover and fourth in Martinsville this season.
He’s never raced in Darlington before but that didn’t stop him from racing well in Martinsville. JR Motorsports swept both races in 2021 and 2022 in Darlington. He’s in the right team for recent success at the track.
Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Odds:Picks for Darlington
Darlington should provide another close race for the Xfinity Series this weekend. The track’s one of the unique ovals on the calendar and presents a different challenge than the usual for the drivers.
Of the favorites, we like Allgaier (+350) to notch another win at this event. His track record is just too strong and he needs a win after coming close earlier this season.
Of the sleepers, Nemechek (+1000) is a good pick but Mayer (+1600) has a better payout. We like a top-five combination of Allgaier (-200), Byron (-275), Nemechek (+140), Mayer (+220), and Custer (-125).
For NASCAR betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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