Bank of America ROVAL 400 Power Rankings and Picks: Top Road Racer a Deserving Favorite

Breaking down the field and drivers to monitor ahead of Sunday’s playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course with our NASCAR power rankings and picks for the Bank of America ROVAL 400.

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs head to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for the final race of the Round of 12. Unlike the Coca-Cola 600 which was run on Memorial Day Weekend, Charlotte’s playoff race will be run on the infield road course. 

Upping the pressure for the playoff drivers in the field is that this is a cutoff race. As such, four more drivers will be eliminated from championship contention following Sunday’s race. 

Six drivers are all within 18 points of each other. Only four of them can advance to the Round of 8. 

Check out our NASCAR betting picks and power rankings for the 2022 Bank of America ROVAL 400 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, FanDuel Sportsbook).

Bank of America ROVAL 400 Betting Odds

Bank of America ROVAL 400 NASCAR Power Rankings

10. Denny Hamlin (+2500 via DraftKings)

Although he may not be winning many road races outright, Denny Hamlin continues to finish well consistently. Among drivers in Sunday’s field, Hamlin owns the third-best average finish (12.2) at road courses dating back to 2019. He has seven top-5s during that span. Among them is a fifth-place result at the Charlotte ROVAL just last year.

9. Joey Logano (+1200 via FanDuel)

Since the NASCAR Cup Series began racing on the Charlotte ROVAL in 2018, Joey Logano has been among the top 10 finishers every year. Toss in his stats at all other road courses since the start of 2019 and Logano has five top-5s and nine top-10s to his name. The No. 22 Team Penske Ford qualified on the pole and, thus, will begin the race with exquisite track position.

8. Chris Buescher (+3300 via BetMGM)

Since the start of 2019, Chris Buescher ranks fourth among active drivers with an average finish of 12.4 in 17 road course starts. In addition to finishing third at the Charlotte ROVAL last year, the No. 17 team has placed top-10 in four straight road races coming in. Buescher’s road racing skills are vastly underrated. An outright bet to win Sunday’s race at 33-1 odds is quite intriguing.

7. A.J. Allmendinger (+1100 via FanDuel)

Whenever the NASCAR Cup Series visits a road course, A.J. Allmendinger is one of the wild cards in the field. The more even playing field that the Next Gen Car has created has only made "The Dinger" more dangerous. Having won each of the last four Xfinity Series events on the Charlotte ROVAL, it’s clear that the Kaulig Racing driver has a knack for this specific track as well.

6. William Byron (+900 via DraftKings)

After winning his points penalty appeal earlier this week, William Byron is back on the right side of the playoff cutline. Byron has only five top-10 finishes in 17 road course starts dating back to 2019. Last year at the Charlotte ROVAL, the No. 24 car led several laps and had a shot to win before getting spun late. He still finished 11th and was sixth in each of the two years prior.

5. Ryan Blaney (+1300 via FanDuel)

He may still be winless on the season, but Ryan Blaney is sitting pretty in the points standings with regard to reaching the Round of 8. A dark horse in the sport when it comes to his road-racing abilities, Blaney is one of only three drivers in Sunday’s field that have finished top 10 in each of the four previous Charlotte ROVAL races. He also won outright here back in 2018.

4. Kyle Larson (+1000 via DraftKings)

The last time NASCAR ran on a road course, Kyle Larson scored the win at Watkins Glen. The defending Bank of America ROVAL 400 winner figures to have a great shot again this weekend. Larson’s average finish of 11.2 at road courses since the start of 2019 ranks second among active drivers. He has four outright wins and seven top 5s in 15 starts over that span.

3. Austin Cindric (+1200 via DraftKings)

The fact that Austin Cindric even qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in his rookie season was a remarkable accomplishment. Although he is currently 12 points below the cutline to advance to the Round of 8 entering the weekend, Cindric figures to be in his element at the ROVAL. In four Xfinity Series starts here, he earned finishes of third, third, sixth, and second, respectively. Cindric also has a pair of top-5 finishes in the Cup Series on road courses.

2. Tyler Reddick (+600 via DraftKings)

Tyler Reddick may already be eliminated from the NASCAR Playoffs, but he figures to be a major threat to win Sunday’s race. Reddick has gone to victory lane in two of the five road races run so far this season and was runner-up at the Charlotte ROVAL a year ago. He also just won at Texas two weeks ago, a sign that the No. 8 team has yet to throw in the towel on the season despite being out of championship contention. 

1. Chase Elliott (+600 via DraftKings)

Absolutely no one could’ve predicted that Chase Elliott would be going into the Bank of America ROVAL 400 without a single road course win this year. Perhaps the greatest road racer that the sport of NASCAR has ever seen, Elliott is a deserving favorite. In 17 road races since the start of 2019, he has won six times and has 12 top-5 finishes. Last week’s win at Talladega assured Elliott of a spot in the Round of 8. Thus, he will be running with nothing to lose on Sunday.

Where to Bet on NASCAR Picks

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

Bank of America ROVAL 400 power rankings made 10/8/2022 at 7:37 p.m. ET