In the ninth race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, it is anyone’s game in the race for the season championship as the circuit heads to Ridgeway, Virginia. Coming off a fantastic battle at the 2023 Food City Dirt Race in Bristol that saw Christopher Bell take home the title, the NASCAR leaderboard is crowded at the top. As of this article’s publishing, Bell leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings at 281 total points, followed closely by Ross Chastain at 268, veteran Kevin Harvick (255), and Kyle Larson (242) in the top four spots of the NASCAR standings. Interestingly, some wagering sites have William Byron as a solid favorite in this contest, perhaps due to him winning two races earlier this season, but faltering as of late.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each of these drivers along with more notes and information about NASCAR wagering.
| Favorites to Win The 2023 NASCAR NOCO 400 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Byron | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Kyle Larson | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Christopher Bell | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Denny Hamlin | +700 | +700 | +700 |
As stated above, Byron is in a bit of a dry spell after cruising to victory in back-to-back races earlier this season at Las Vegas and also at Phoenix as well. Since then he has finished in the top ten only once and has actually had two races where he ended up in 20-plus place or worse. While this is perhaps a troubling development, the rising star still is one of the most competitive drivers on the circuit and perhaps is aiming for a minor comeback to the top of the leaderboard.
The No. 4-ranked driver on the NASCAR Cup Series leaderboard, Larson is coming off a season-worst performance at Bristol, finishing in 35th place. That said, he did also win the prior race in Richmond at the Toyota Owners 400 for his first victory of the year. In addition to his top finish at the Richmond Raceway, Larson has notched two other top-five finishes this season.
Currently the reigning leader of the NASCAR Cup Series, Bell is also the most consistent racer in all of NASCAR to this point. Not including him winning the race at Bristol, the native of Norman, Oklahoma has accrued an impressive four top-five finishes in this current NASCAR season which is among the sport’s best marks. Moreover, he has avoided prolonged spurts of sub-par finishes, following up plus-thirty finishes with top-five finishes in each instance.
Our final driver spotlight, Hamlin is currently in 12th place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings but has the ability to climb up the charts quickly. While he has not yet notched any top-five finishes to date this season, the Jordan Brand racer is one of the craftiest drivers on the circuit and not to be overlooked. However, he is coming off back-to-back plus-20 finishes so maybe there is a bit of pause in taking him to win at NOCO.
Prediction: Byron will spring back and notch a title at Martinsville given his ability to tangle with the sport’s best and come out on top.
Once you are all dialed in regarding your NASCAR bets at the NOCO 400, SBS has your back when it comes to staying on top of all the latest NASCAR wagering news. For instance, look no further than our NASCAR betting sites rundown which covers the latest betting markets related to the sport and more topical information. Moreover, if you are in the market of maximizing your bets, and who is not, then the SBS best bonus betting sites breakdown covers a ton of great info. In particular, this page contains a detailed catalog of the latest welcome bonus promotions available as of right now. On a final note, for those that are uncertain which payment options are the best fit for them, the SBS payment methods guide is a must-read page. Here you can find various options from crypto to traditional banking methods.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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