Bass Pro Shops Night Race Preview and Best Bet

NASCAR's Cup Series playoffs continue on Saturday evening. Here is a preview of the big race with advice on how to bet it. Top Sportsbooks have released their odds for Saturday's upcoming NASCAR Cup Series playoff race. Here is an update on the playoff standings, information that you'll want to know for the race, and guidance on how to approach the race as a bettor so that you may strike a profit. Besides providing a profitable opportunity, this race will be a rather fun one to watch because it takes place at a track that is for sure a fan favorite.

NASCAR Cup Series: Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Saturday, September 18, 2021, at 7:30 PM EDT at Bristol Motor Speedway

Playoff Update 

As you may recall, each round in the current NASCAR Cup Series playoffs consists of three races. Right now, we are in the third and final race of the Round of 16. This means that, after Saturday's events, four drivers will be eliminated from playoff contention as we proceed into the Round of 12. So far, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have for sure secured their places in the next round. They clinched their Round of 12 spots by winning a race: Hamlin won two weeks ago while Truex Jr. won last week.

https://twitter.com/KellyCrandall/status/1438180302296424451

For betting purposes, we will automatically discard those two drivers as candidates to invest in simply because they have less to race for. There are a ton of drivers who will be more motivated on Saturday and are therefore more worth investing in. Keep this in mind for your NASCAR Picks.

Race Info 

For Saturday's racing event, drivers must complete a total of 500 laps. As has been the case for nearly every race this season, there will be three stages for this event. Stage 1 consists of 125 laps. Stage 2 finishes upon completion of lap 250. Stage 3 consists of the remaining 250 laps. An entry list is reliably posted early in the week for the upcoming racing competition.

https://twitter.com/speedwaydigest/status/1438169271826190337

For this upcoming race, 38 drivers/teams are listed on the published entry list. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we already know which drivers will compete in the race. As for the starting lineup, that gets published on Wednesday morning. Because drivers are already quite familiar with the track at Bristol, there is no need for practice or qualifying to take place. Instead, the starting lineup will be set by a predetermined formula. This has typically been the case.

Track Info 

Bristol Motor Speedway is a fan favorite for several reasons. This track is just over one-half-mile long: 0.533 to be exact. So in completing 500 laps, drivers will have accumulated 266.5 miles. Because of its length and its strong reputation as a fast track, Bristol's track is known as "The World's Fastest Half-Mile." Also, because it is known for being very loud, it also has the nickname "Thunder Valley."

One significant reason why this track is fast is the uniquely high banking. High banking correlates with higher speeds because drivers use higher banking to corral momentum for their cars. At this track, turns are banked at 22 to 24 degrees. The straights are banked at nine degrees.

Driver To Avoid 

With your sports betting in mind, be sure to avoid trusting Brad Keselowski in any form on Saturday. In his last race at Bristol, he finished 34th after starting in pole position. This type of catastrophe is nothing new for him when he races at this track. Keselowski has finished outside the top 15 in eight of his last 10 races here. Several of those races include finishes outside the top 20 and a couple outside the top 30.

Brad Keselowski. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFP

My Guy 

I like Kyle Busch the most for Saturday's race. I value consistency because consistency equates to reliability and I want to invest in drivers who I can trust.At this track, calling Busch consistent is approximately an understatement. He has earned a top top-five finish in six of his last seven races here.

Kyle Busch. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFP

Among those seven races, three were wins, and one culminated in a second-place finish. He currently ranks 10th in the NASCAR playoff standings. So, he is very much in need of a good performance. For the above reasons, expect a strong effort from Kyle Busch for your best bets.

NASCAR Pick: (visit Sportsbook Review)

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.