William Byron Leads Fave’s in Xfinity Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 Odds
Series Returns to Ovals Again, Can Byron Win in Pocono for First Time Since 2016?
Shane van Gisbergen made it three wins on non-ovals in a row in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in the streets of Chicago. He now leads the series with three victories this season following his wins in Portland and Sonoma.
This week, the grid is back on familiar ovals with the high-speed, unique triangle layout of Pocono. Here’s how the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 odds look this week:
Explore The Pocono Mountains 225: Favorites
William Byron (+350)
The top Cup Series driver in these NASCAR race odds fared well in Chicago last week. He finished eighth to rebound from below-average results in New Hampshire (26th) and Nashville (19th). It’s still a far cry from his early-season form with three wins in the first eight Cup Series races, though.
He’s raced well in Pocono before in the Cup Series. He qualified on pole last year and led the most laps en route to 14th by the checkered flag.
But he hasn’t won at the track since the 2016 Craftsman Truck Series race and that’s a long drought to be this high in odds. He has a good shot at the win but it’s far from a sure thing.
Justin Allgaier (+450)
Allgaier had another strong result in Chicago with ninth place – his sixth top-10 finish in the last eight races. Thanks to that consistency into the second half of the regular season, he’s now up to second in the Xfinity Series standings.
Allgaier’s never won in Pocono in the Xfinity Series. He’s come close on multiple occasions: second in 2017, third in 2021, and pole position to seventh in 2022. Pocono is a unique layout that’s hard to predict but Allgaier’s consistency alone this season should keep him in the fight at the front.
Cole Custer (+500)
Custer remains the championship leader despite a below-average finish in Chicago. He was 18th by the checkered flag. For most drivers, that’s a solid finish at an outlier track, but it was Custer’s fourth finish outside the top 10 all season.
Pocono’s been a good place for Custer over the years. He won from pole position in 2019 and finished fifth from pole position in 2018. Last year was a one-off (33rd) compared to his regular performances there. His track record’s good enough that he could break through for his first win of the season.
Sam Mayer (+650)
Mayer’s recent run of inconsistent NASCAR results continued in Chicago with 19th place. This followed 10th in Nashville and 19th in New Hampshire after his win in Iowa.
Like Custer, Mayer’s had good results in Pocono. He finished second here last year and sixth in 2022. It’s a limited sample size but that bodes well for a better finish than last week.
Chandler Smith (+700)
Smith’s Chicago race lasted just five laps because of an engine failure that saw him finish 38th, his worst season result. He should be in for a better result this weekend.
Smith won in Pocono in the 2022 Craftsman Truck Series and led the most laps. Last year Pocono was an okay result with 20th in his rookie season. Now in his second year, he should finish much higher than that.
Austin Hill (+800)
Hill’s gradually bridging the gap in the Xfinity Series standings thanks to his recent form. He finished seventh and won Stage 2 last week in Chicago and now sits just 21 points behind Smith in the standings.
These odds are surprisingly long considering he’s the defending winner here. He won last year and finished eighth the year before. He had similar success in the Craftsman Truck Series with sixth in 2022, fifth in 2021, and second in 2020.
He’s performed well in high-speed tracks throughout his Xfinity Series career and that shouldn’t change this weekend.
Sleepers
Jesse Love (+2200)
van Gisbergen may have the wins but Love’s been the most consistent rookie in the Xfinity Series this season. He’s performing well across multiple types of tracks, including last week with fifth place in Chicago where he led the most laps.
He’s performed well at high-speed tracks this season. He won in Talladega and ook pole position and led the most laps in Daytona. Last year, he won and led the most laps in Pocono in the ARCA Menards Series. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him get his second win of the season here.
Brandon Jones (+2500)
Jones has been solid in Pocono in the Xfinity Series. Last year he finished seventh and led 12 laps and finished seventh in 2021. He also won there in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2020. It’s not much of a track record but it could bode well for his chances this weekend.
Josh Berry (+5000)
Berry is making his first Xfinity Series appearance of the season this weekend. It’s surprising how far down the order he is considering his recent run in the Cup Series (four top-10 results in the last eight races) and his track record in Pocono.
He qualified on pole position last year and led the most laps before dropping to 24th by the checkered flag after a last-lap accident. A year earlier, he finished third. He’s a steal at these odds.
Explore The Pocono Mountains 225: Predictions
The Tricky Triangle is an exciting track for the Xfinity Series with its unique layout and high speeds. This week should be no different as the grid returns back to oval layouts.
Of the favorites, we like Custer (+500) to get the win. His solid track record and consistency this season is a good bet. Of the sleepers, we like Berry (+5000). If not for a late accident, he’d likely be the defending winner. Our top five picks are:
- Custer (-125)
- Berry (+700)
- Byron (-170)
- Love (+345)
- Allgaier (-150)
For NASCAR betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
