Getty Chase Elliott has the best odds heading toward Watkins Glen International.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Watkins Glen International on August 21 for the fifth road course race of the 2022 season. There are several drivers seeking their first win, but the oddsmakers predict that Chevrolet’s recent dominance will continue.
According to BetMGM, four Chevrolet drivers lead the way in the opening odds. Chase Elliott sits in the best position at 5-1 while two-time road course winner Tyler Reddick is second at 6-1. Kyle Larson, the defending Watkins Glen winner, is third at 8-1 while Circuit of the Americas winner Ross Chastain rounds out the group at 9-1.
The first driver not in control of a Chevrolet is Austin Cindric. The Daytona 500 winner enters the race weekend at 10-1. He has yet to win a road course during his Cup Series career, but he has an extensive history of competing in other racing series. Cindric also has five road course wins in the Xfinity Series.
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While Cindric is the first driver representing another manufacturer, he is just ahead of another member of the Chevrolet family. Daniel Suarez, the winner of the Sonoma race, enters the weekend at 12-1.
Elliott Has 3 Straight Strong Performances at Watkins Glen
GettyKyle Larson (front) won the most recent race at Watkins Glen International.
The reason for Elliott having strong odds is his consistency in road course races. This includes his past three starts when he has not finished outside of the top two spots in the field.
Elliott actually scored his first career Cup Series win at Watkins Glen International in 2018. He led 52 of the 90 laps while driving the No. 9 Sun Energy 1 Chevrolet, and he secured the 250th win in Hendrick Motorsports history. Elliott then ran out of fuel and had to receive a push from Jimmie Johnson to get back around the course.
Elliott returned to Watkins Glen during the 2019 season, and he continued to showcase his skills on NASCAR’s road courses. He led 80 of the 90 laps and went back-to-back at the 2.45-mile track.
The Cup Series did not race at Watkins Glen in 2020 due to COVID, but the drivers returned to the track in 2021. Elliott was the favorite to win, and he came close to making it three straight. However, he ultimately finished second while teammate Kyle Larson won.
A New Driver Faces Decent Odds at Watkins Glen
GettyKimi Raikkonen will face decent odds to win at Watkins Glen.
The trip to Watkins Glen International will be historic considering that there will be representatives from seven different countries. This includes guest drivers in Mike Rockenfeller, Daniil Kvyat, Loris Hezemans, Kyle Tilley, and Kimi Raikkonen.
Rockenfeller, Kvyat, Hezemans, and Tilley all enter the weekend at 1,000-1 odds to win. They are at the rear of the field along with full-time driver Cody Ware. Raikkonen, for comparison, sits much farther up the list.
The former Formula 1 champion enters the weekend at 40-1 odds as he prepares to make his Cup Series debut. He has better odds than Ty Gibbs (50-1), Erik Jones (100-1), Todd Gilliland (125-1), Cole Custer (125-1), Bubba Wallace (150-1), and Austin Dillon (150-1) among many others.
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