Once upon a time, NASCAR refused to race on Mother’s Day. The family-run business believed fans and teams should spend the day with mother. Sorry, Mom. We’re racing in Darlington on Sunday.
As always, trust the data but also trust your eyes. Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington, which gets underway Sunday, May 14 at 3 p.m. ET.
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Baseball uses pink bats, so Mom’s don’t mind the male sport taking center stage on Mother’s Day. Yeah, right. NASCAR doesn’t race pink cars. They don’t patronize. They’re a business and most businesses will be open on Sunday. Let’s get to business and pick some winners for the fifth intermediate-track race of the season, and third in as many weeks.
Race Winner — Goodyear 400
Kyle Larson +550
It almost works every race. Larson got really close last week. Denny Hamlin wrecked Kyle Larson on the final lap at Kansas to steal the win. It was close. The replay is inconclusive. The Hamlin backers will say he packed air on the back of Larson’s loose racecar. The Larson backers — full disclosure he was in the Best Bets Article last week — believe Hamlin turned him into the wall. Hamlin did not give Larson room. He did not race him as cleanly as possible. It’s racing. Who cares? Hamlin cares. He’s the same guy that called Alex Bowman a hack for doing the same thing to him at Martinsville in 2021.
None of that matters. What matters is that for the second week in a row, and all four intermediate track races this season, Larson’s Hendrick Chevy has been the fastest. The four tracks (Fontana, Las Vegas, Dover and Kansas), are not very similar, but the racing package is the same. If crew chief Cliff Daniels can adjust the No. 5 car for the differing intermediate tracks, then Larson should once again have a hot rod at the unique track in South Carolina. “The Lady in Black” or “The Track Too Tough to Tame” has not been too tough on Larson. It’s one of his best tracks. He’s never won at Darlington but he’s led 686 laps and earned a podium finish in five of his last eight races at this egged-shaped track.
Tyler Reddick +850
The speed at Darlington is on the wall. It’s not a high-groove track. It’s a wall track. The driver that dares to hug the wall will be the fastest. The driver that passes on holding hands with the wall and flat-out makes out with the wall will win. Reddick loves walls. He’s practically married to the wall in Homestead. Florida marital law recognizes their relationship as a civil union. Last season, Reddick finished second and third in the two Darlington races. The Toyotas have come to life since NASCAR returned to the intermediate-track package. Martin Truex won at Dover and Denny Hamlin won at Kansas.
Check back later this week for additional NASCAR matchup bets and prop bets as they become available on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Race Winner — Goodyear 400
William Byron +900
The Hendrick Chevys are fast. This is redundant, but it’s a universal truth. Byron went down three laps last week and still finished third at Kansas. He won in this racing package at Las Vegas earlier this season. He led the most laps in this package at Dover two weeks ago. Last spring in this package, Byron was leading at Darlington with two laps remaining. Very similar to what unfolded for his teammate last week, Joey Logano dumped Byron to steal the win at Darlington. Speed wins and Byron has it.
Denny Hamlin +550
A win’s a win. The Sportsbook scores them the same. Aggressive and unforgiving drivers are good picks. We want wins not podiums. The toothpaste is out of the bottle. There’s no going back. Hamlin has been a vocal critic of the new NASCAR. He does not like the disrespectful driving. He does not approve of NASCAR’s leadership and the spoiled brats new to the Cup Series. If you can’t beat them, join them. Hamlin got a dirty one last week. He crossed the line. He’ll do it again. That might not sit right with the fans, but bettors better take note. Hamlin has a top-5 driver rating in six of the last seven Darlington races. He’s had the best driver rating in two of the last three Darlington races. He’ll be there at the end again this week. Larson and Byron will be there as well, but will they do whatever it takes to win? Hamlin will.
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All betting odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.