The NASCAR Cup Series drivers head to the Charlotte Roval on Sunday, October 10, for the final Round of 12 race. Chase Elliott will enter the weekend as the early favorite based on his history of success, and he will have the opportunity to win his third straight race at the road course.
BetMGM released the early odds for the Bank of America Roval 400, confirming that the Hendrick Motorsports driver will be the favorite at 2-1. One of his teammates, Kyle Larson, has the second-best odds at 9-2 while Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. enters the weekend at 6-1. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch round out the top five tied at 12-1.
Elliott has extremely favorable odds due to his considerable amount of success at the Charlotte Roval. He finished sixth in the inaugural trip to the 2.28-mile road course on September 30, 2018. He then visited Victory Lane in back-to-back races in 2019 and 2020. Now Elliott will try to complete the Charlotte Roval hat trick while securing his spot in the Round of Eight.
The Bank of America Roval 400 will take place on Sunday, October 10, at 2 p.m. ET. NBC will provide coverage for the 109-lap race as 11 playoff drivers battle for the checkered flag and a guaranteed spot in the Round of Eight next to Hamlin, the winner of the Las Vegas race on September 26.
Another Charlotte Roval Winner Has Favorable Odds To Win
GettyRyan Blaney prepares for a race at Pocono.
While Elliott is the overwhelming favorite to lock up the win, he is not the only Cup Series driver with a history of success at the road course. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney is the only other person to win a race at the Charlotte Roval in the three-year history.
The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford headed to the Charlotte Roval with his peers on September 30, 2018, for a crucial playoff race. He started ninth overall but led 16 laps en route to his first win of the season. He reached Victory Lane and moved on to the Round of 12.
While Blaney has not been able to win again at the Roval, he has contended every time that he has suited up. He finished eighth during the 2019 playoff race and then took fifth overall in 2020 while Elliot won his second race.
A Driver Facing a ‘Must-Win’ Situation Doesn’t Have the Best Odds
GettyAlex Bowman waves to fans at Richmond Raceway.
There are several drivers in a safe spot entering Charlotte, such as Blaney and Elliott, but one driver faces a must-win situation. Alex Bowman is currently 52 points below the cutline after a crash at Talladega Superspeedway relegated him to a 38th-place finish.
The only way that Bowman can move on to the Round of Eight is to win at the Charlotte Roval, a track where he has no previous wins. Though he has two top-fives and a top-10 at the road course to his name, as well as an average finish of 4.7.
Bowman needs a win, but BetMGM does not particularly believe that he will achieve this goal. The oddsmakers list the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro at 25-1, putting him in a tie for 10th with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.
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Oddsmakers Predict a Charlotte Roval Three-Peat