2024 Sci Aps 200 Odds: Xfinity Faves and Sleepers
A Couple of Cup Series Regulars are Pulling Double Duty
The Xfinity Series’ first race at Iowa Speedway in four years came down to the wire in overtime. Sam Mayer crossed the finish line 0.146 seconds ahead of Riley Herbst for his second win of the season. The JR Motorsports driver is squarely in the top 10 of the standings as the grid heads to New Hampshire and another shorter flat track oval this week. The 2024 Sci Aps 200 Oddspoint to a Cup Series driver leading the way, though.
2024 Sci Aps 200 Odds:Â Favorites
Christopher Bell (-110)
Bell enters the weekend as the favorite in both Xfinity and Cup Series races in Loudon. He’s the form driver in the Cup Series recently with five top-10 finishes in the last six races. He won the first Cup Series race this year in Phoenix, a similar track to this weekend’s oval.
His record at New Hampshire is stellar. He won the Cup Series race in 2022 and started from pole position in 2023. He’s won every Xfinity Series race at this track with victories in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He is rightfully the NASCAR odds favorite entering the weekend.
Chandler Smith (+500)
Smith led the most laps in Iowa with 131 and won the first two stages. He fell away in the final stage but fell to eighth by the checkered flag. It made for one of the more disappointing results of the season for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.
This weekend, he could right that wrong. His two wins this year were in Phoenix and Richmond, which are similar ovals to New Hampshire. He hasn’t recaptured that strong run of results to start the season when he finished in the top eight in the first seven races. A win or top result would go a long way to changing that.
Justin Allgaier (+600)
Allgaier had one of his worst NASCAR results of the year in Iowa and was classified 30th by the end. It continued his recent up-and-down form. He won in Darlington only to finish 33rd in Charlotte. He finished second in Portland and seventh in Sonoma only to drop to 30th last weekend.
Luckily, New Hampshire is a good place for the JR Motorsports driver. He won this race in 2022 and finished sixth last year. He hasn’t raced well at similar tracks this year but his track record at Loudon is enough to give confidence.
Cole Custer (+750)
Thanks to sixth place in Iowa, Custer’s back on top in the Xfinity Series standings. That marked his 12th top-10 finish this season out of 15 races. No one else on the grid comes close to that level of consistency.
His track record in New Hampshire is good but not great. He finished 22nd here last year but took second from pole position in 2019. He also finished ninth in both 2018 and 2017. It’d be a surprise to see him outside of the top 10 considering his form and track record.
Alex Bowman (+900)
Bowman makes his first Xfinity Series appearance of 2024 this season. He’s fresh off an eighth-place finish in Iowa, one of his better results in the Cup Series in the last month and a half. This is his third Xfinity Series race in New Hampshire. The prior two saw him finish eighth (2016) and 10th (2013).
He’s had mixed results in the Cup Series there as well with just one top-10 finish (2021). He could be in the mix for a top 10 finish but much more would be a surprise.
2024 Sci Aps 200 Odds:Â Sleepers
Austin Hill (+2000)
Hill’s a good sleeper pick this week once again. He had a tough weekend in Iowa with a DNF but could get back on track at a type of oval he’s raced well at this season. He finished fourth in Phoenix and eighth in Richmond boding well for his chances this weekend. The championship contender could get back on track after classifying 29th at Iowa.
Sammy Smith (+2500)
Smith is fresh off a fourth-place finish in Iowa, his third top-four result in the last four races. It’s the best stretch of form in his sophomore season. That could improve even more this weekend. He finished ninth in Phoenix and Richmond and is in the best form. He should be in the mix for another good finish and a win would not be surprising.
Jesse Love (+2500)
This season’s Xfinity Series’ best rookie struggled to his worst result last week in Iowa. Love was classified 31st by the end of the race. Since his win in Talladega, Love’s finished in the top 10 just once in the subsequent six races. It’s a drop-off from his earlier form this season. But he’s one of just two drivers in the series to finish in the top five at Phoenix (second) and Richmond (fifth). Only Chandler Smith can match that and it bodes well for his chances this weekend.
2024 Sci Aps 200 Odds:Â Predictions
The Xfinity Series makes its annual trip to New Hampshire and it’s a familiar oval for many of the drivers.
Of the favorites, we’re going with Bell (-110) and his perfect track record in New Hampshire. If you’re worried his luck will run out, go with Chandler Smith (+500). Of the sleepers, go with Love (+2500). He can use a bounce-back weekend and Loudon could be where he gets on track.
Our top five picks are Bell (-800), Chandler Smith (-150), Hill (+240), Love (+320), and Custer (-120).
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