Defending Xfinity champion Gibbs leads Cabo Wabo 250 odds

The Xfinity Series returns to ovals this week with a stop in high-speed Michigan

August 3, 2023 239 4 minutes readNASCAR News

Defending Xfinity champion Gibbs leads Cabo Wabo 250 odds — Logan Riely/Getty Images/AFP

Gibbs leads the favorites
Longer Cabo Wabo 250 odds to consider
Predictions for the Cabo Wabo 250

There’s a new leader in the Xfinity Series championship for the first time in weeks. Austin Hill returns to the top spot after his third-place finish at Road America and John Hunter Nemechek’s 34th-place result. This week, the grid returns to ovals once again for one of the highest-speed events on the schedule: Michigan. Though it’s a close contest at the top of the standings among four drivers, the Cabo Wabo 250 odds point to a different driver as the favorite for victory.

Gibbs leads the favorites

Defending Xfinity Series champion and current Cup Series rookie Ty Gibbs leads the odds for victory this week at +350. Last season, he won this race and led the most laps in his fifth win of the 2022 NASCAR schedule. He’s raced in more Xfinity events (five) than any other Cup Series driver this season. In four of those five races, he’s finished in the top six. He’ll be fighting up near the front again this weekend.

Nemechek is next at +450. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was leading the standings for the last few months but has hit his worst consecutive race results of the year. In Pocono, he finished 32nd. Last week’s poor result now puts him 14 points behind Hill at the top of the standings. Historically, Nemechek’s struggled in Michigan. His best result in any series at the track is eighth in the 2019 Xfinity Series season. These odds are more about giving him credit for his strong results in 2023.

Justin Allgaier’s right behind Nemechek at +500. He’s the third of the top group in the standings and sits 15 points behind Nemechek in third. He had a strong race in Road America and won both stages with a race-high 42 laps led. But a spin in the second and final overtime dropped him to 18th. That’s the second of two off performances in a row for Allgaier, following a 23rd-place result in Pocono.

He’ll be looking to improve this week, and it’s at a track where he’s enjoyed some success. Last year he finished second to Gibbs and took sixth the year before. The last time he finished outside the top 10 in Michigan was in 2017. He’s primed for a bounce-back race this week.

Josh Berry (+550) likewise has succeeded in Michigan with a pair of top-six finishes in the last two seasons. He’s the odd man out at the top of the standings in fifth. The points gap from him to Cole Custer in fourth (79) is slightly less than Custer to leader Hill (84). Berry had his best result in a month and a half last week in Road America, finishing sixth. He’s on the up and could be racing near the front in Michigan yet again.

Custer (+700) is amid his worst slump of the season. Twenty-second in Loudon, 33rd in Pocono, and 30th in Road America. This has been a sharp drop from his prior 11 races in which he was the most consistent driver in the Xfinity Series. He needs a good result to keep pace with the other leaders. His best result in Michigan was third in 2018. It may be tough for him to get to the front again.

Hill rounds out the favorites at +800. After starting the season with three wins in five races, he fell back for about a month as other drivers caught up. But he’s been one of the most consistent drivers in the series over the last three months. Nine top-five finishes in 11 races have him in the lead of the championship for good reason. He’s done well in Michigan before; last season, he took fifth and won the Craftsman Truck Series race in 2019. He has a better shot at victory than these NASCAR odds reflect.

Longer Cabo Wabo 250 odds to consider

Chandler Smith (+1400) has been the best-performing rookie in 2023. His win in Richmond and three pole positions make for a solid year. One of his best results came at Michigan’s sister track, Fontana, where he finished fourth. Kaulig Racing won this event in 2021 with A.J. Allmendinger and could make it two wins in three years.

Riley Herbst (+3300) is one of the most extended shots on the grid for victory in the NASCAR race this weekend. But hear us out: he raced well in Fontana (seventh) and Las Vegas (eighth), and he’s one of just three Xfinity drivers with consecutive top-five finishes in the last two races. He finished ninth in Michigan last year and seventh the year before. A long shot for a first career Xfinity Series victory? Yes, but a considerable payout.

Predictions for the Cabo Wabo 250

The Cabo Wabo 250 odds point to a close fight among six drivers at the front. It’s hard to bet against Gibbs in return to a race he handily won in 2022.

But if you’re looking for a better payout, look for Hill to continue his excellent form en route to victory. Smith’s a much longer shot but it could be another opportunity for a driver to try closing the gap to the top four in the Xfinity standings.

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