🏁 Go Bowling at the Glen Predictions & Odds 2026: NASCAR Picks, Props, Best Bets at Watkins Glen

After coming up just short with Denny Hamlin last week, I'm looking to be on this money with this week's NASCAR predictions at Watkins Glen. The Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at the Glen on Sunday, May 10, with the action scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (FS1).

This weekend's event marks the second road course race of the year. Although Shane Van Gisbergen has dominated these venues lately, he didn't have the speed necessary at Circuit of the Americas, and we're fading the heavy favorite again as a result.

📈 NASCAR odds at Watkins Glen: Go Bowling at the Glen

Latest NASCAR odds at BetMGM as of Friday, May 8; subject to change.

💡 How to bet NASCAR at Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen is a permanent road course, and its relatively short 2.45-mile length makes it one of the few with a triple-digit lap count. While the era of "road course ringers" is mostly over, tracks with left and right turns still tend to favor certain drivers who are more used to these venues than ovals. Notably, this year's race will feature new tire barriers to enforce track limits and prevent fanning out. 

But driver talent and background matter considerably when handicapping road course races, raw speed still matters, and, historically, Watkins Glen is the only road-course venue with triple-digit average green-flag speeds over the last two seasons. Because of this, our strategy this weekend involves fading the high-priced favorites at Trackhouse Racing.   

🏆 Best bet to win Go Bowling at the Glen

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske (No. 12)

• Ryan Blaney to win: +2200 via DraftKings (0.25u)
• Ryan Blaney top 10: +110 via DraftKings (1.25u)

Blaney, a weekly favorite to win each race, hasn't found Victory Lane on a road course since the Charlotte Roval in 2018. That said, he is as long as +2500 on theScore Bet to win this race, which is far too much value. Blaney won the pole here last season, led the second-most laps, and brought his No. 12 Ford home in sixth.

To handicap this race, I looked at how drivers who were top 5 by driver rating at COTA (like Blaney) performed in the next road course and at Watkins Glen. Last year, those drivers were Shane Van Gisbergen, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Tyler Reddick - SVG won both the next road course and Watkins Glen, and those five drivers produced seven top 10s.

Lock in Blaney to win outright and to score a top 10 for +110 (47.6%) -- his odds should be shorter, and the line will move considerably if he qualifies well again.

🔥 More NASCAR picks & prop bets

If my top bet of the week is coming in at +2200 (4.4%), we've got more room than usual to build out the rest of our betting card. Last week's Denny Hamlin pick at +500 (16.7%) was far more constraining. Let's discuss some other solid options elsewhere on the board.

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing (No. 45)

• Tyler Reddick to win: +900 via FanDuel (0.5u)

The new points format rewards drivers who win one-off races far less (and consistent performers far more). But with Tyler Reddick owning a massive points lead, the No. 45 team can afford to get aggressive in search of a win. That factor is especially important at a road course, where teams looking for stage points often sacrifice their final result to score them.

Reddick, like Blaney, excelled at COTA earlier in the year. He posted the best driver rating en route to a dominant win, leading 58 of 95 laps. Notably, Reddick didn't place in the first stage and placed just fifth in the second as his team prioritized the win over picking up stage points. At +900 on FanDuel and +1000 on theScore Bet, you can't leave Reddick off your card. 

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports (No. 71)

• Michael McDowell to win: +2500 via BetMGM (0.25u)
• Michael McDowell top 10: +110 via DraftKings (1.25u)

Carson Hocevar got Spire Motorsports' first win at Talladega, but Michael McDowell could chip in with another upset at Watkins Glen. The veteran driver has one Cup Series win at this type of track already, and he looked like one of the best drivers at COTA in March. McDowell finished fifth with the fifth-best driver rating and the seventh-best average green-flag speed in that event.   

As with Blaney, we can get McDowell at generous prices to win outright and score a top 10. That's a great deal in my book. McDowell scored a top 10 here in both 2022 and 2024, and he piloted his No. 71 Chevrolet to top 5s at Mexico City, Sonoma, and the Charlotte Roval last year.

💰 My NASCAR bets at Watkins Glen

Here are the actual NASCAR bets I'm making for the Go Bowling at the Glen with the best odds from our best sports betting sites for Sunday's race at Watkins Glen.

Total wagered: 3 units | Max profit: 8.25 units (McDowell win + Blaney top 10)

🏆 Past NASCAR winners at Watkins Glen

Here is a list of every NASCAR race winner at Watkins Glen in the Next Gen era:

📺 How to watch NASCAR at Watkins Glen: 2026 Go Bowling at the Glen

• Date: Sunday, May 10
• Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, N.Y.)
• TV: FS1
• Track: 2.45-mile road course (100 laps, 245 miles)
• Stages: Stage 1 (20 laps), Stage 2 (30 laps), final stage (50laps)