NASCAR Grant Park 220 Odds close ahead of first-ever street race
The Cup Series has never raced on a street course until this weekend. Who will make history?

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season has taken teams to ovals, a dirt track, and multiple road courses. But for the first time in series history, Cup drivers will take to a street course. Instead of the high-speed, flowing characteristics of the many ovals they face in 2023, Cup Series drivers face sharp turns and short straights over 2.2 miles in Chicago. This is new for all drivers on the grid and the NASCAR Grant Park 220 odds reflect that.
Championship leaders, and road course standouts lead the odds
Chase Elliott (+600) leads the odds for victory this Sunday in Chicago. He’s just four weeks removed from a suspension for his actions in Charlotte, but he’s raced well since returning. He’s one of just two drivers on the Cup Series grid to notch two top-five finishes in the last two races.
Elliott’s one of the best road course drivers in the field. Seven of his 18 career Cup Series wins are on road courses. On average, he finishes much higher on road courses than on any other type of track. He’s yet to win a race in 2023, and he could make history on Sunday.
Championship leader Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick are both next at +650.
Truex Jr.’s been the best driver in the Cup Series over the last month. He’s finished fifth or higher in the previous five races and, with that points haul, took the top spot on the NASCAR leaderboard. He won the last road course race in Sonoma and has a history of racing well on road courses. It’s a unique challenge, but he’s shown his prowess outside of ovals.
Reddick’s in a similar category. Three of his four career Cup Series wins have come at road courses, including Austin, Road America, and the Indianapolis Road Course. On average, he finishes better at road courses than any other type of oval with at least five starts. He’s had a string of bad results in June. Thirty-fifth in Madison, 33rd in Sonoma, and 30th in Nashville make for his worst stretch of the season. This could be a good chance for him to bounce back in a layout he’s more suited to.
Kyle Larson (+700) rounds out the top group in odds. Throughout 2023, Larson’s been at the top or near it as far as favorites go for every race. This week is no different. He’s a solid driver on road courses (four wins and another four top-five finishes) and is in the midst of his best stretch of 2023. In the last three races, he’s finished at least eighth. Only Truex Jr. can match that form. Larson’s 101 NASCAR points behind Truex Jr at the top of the standings. A win would close that gap.
Second close group of contenders
Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger are both +1000 for victory on Sunday. They’re much like the top group; Chastain’s been near the top of the NASCAR leaderboard for much of the season, and Allmendinger’s a road course standout.
Chastain’s first win of the season finally came in Nashville with a victory in the Ally 400. It emphatically broke a run of bad performances in Darlington (29th), Charlotte (22nd), and Madison (22nd). Now, he’s third in the Cup Series standings, just 18 points behind Truex Jr. Over his Cup Series career, he’s been best at road courses. His average finish (18th) is much better there than at short tracks or speedways.
Allmendinger’s been in good form recently. Sixth in Sonoma and 10th in Nashville are two of his best results in 2023. As a former IndyCar/Champ Car driver, he has experience around road and street courses. He won two races on street courses during his Champ Car career: Denver and Toronto, the latter in a similar layout to Chicago. He could have one of his best chances at a victory this weekend.
Kyle Busch (+1200) rounds out this group. The two-time Cup Series champion continues to enjoy one of his best seasons since his title-winning year in 2019. He’s notched three wins already in 2023 and finished second in both road course races (Sonoma and Austin). Over his career, Busch has been solid on road courses, with four wins and another 14 top-five finishes in 49 events. He’d be the first driver to four wins in 2023 with a victory on Sunday.
Drivers to consider with long NASCAR Grant Park 220 Odds
Kevin Harvick (+2800) is sixth in the NASCAR standings but is the only driver in the top 10 without a win in 2023. He raced relatively well in Austin and Sonoma (13th and 11th, respectively) and is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. He’s run at many tracks and could make the most of this week’s opportunity.
Jenson Button is one of the longest of the long shots for victory Sunday at +10000. But it’s not every weekend that a Formula 1 champion steps into a Cup Series race. Button enjoyed his time in the Hendrick Motorsport-backed Garage 56 program at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans. He has the most street race experience of any driver competing on Sunday. The driving dynamics are going to be new, but at a track that no one on the grid knows, he’d be worth a shot.
Picks for the Grand Park 220
This weekend’s race in Chicago will be a unique test for the Cup Series. Can this generation of cars make for good racing around a street circuit? Who will be NASCAR’s first street race winner?
It’s tough to decide which is the best way to go. Truex Jr. is the best choice among the favorites in the NASCAR Grant Park 220 odds. He’s the best driver in the Cup Series, and Toyota cars have won both road course races this season.
If you’re looking for better payouts, consider Allmendinger or Button. Both have experience racing on street courses and could make NASCAR history.
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