2021 Bass Pro Shops Night Race Betting Preview/Prop Play
17 September 2021
With just 12 drivers remaining in the NASCAR Playoffs, the next race heads to Tennessee. Bristol Motor Speedway has been a hotspot for several drivers over the years.
As the race approaches, keep in mind that four drivers will be eliminated after this race. So, the tension will be high and quite competitive throughout.
Race Details
Date: September 18, 6:30 PM
Watch on: NBCS
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Betting Overview
Many of the drivers that you will see below have driven well here, but this is obviously a new time. On top of that, some have won here in the past, but not much action anywhere else.
You will need to see which drivers can take advantage of the long run, in which laps are flown by in under 15 seconds. Finding a driver that can dominate here could be the difference-maker.
Head to Head Matchup to Watch
All eyes will be on Kyle Larson (149.640) and Denny Hamlin (145.753) as they lead the first and second place rankings, respectively. They both have had success here, but can this carry over to a win?
Dunkel Index For This Event
The Dunkel Index is showing these top 10 drivers that could win this event. The following ten are:
1 Denny Hamlin 145.753
2 Martin Truex Jr 146.379
3 Kyle Larson 149.640
4 Ryan Blaney 150.675
5 Chase Elliott 151.853
6 Kurt Busch 153.703
7 Kevin Harvick 154.319
8 Chris Buescher 155.497
9 Kyle Busch 155.571
10 Aric Almirola 155.906
*index is subject to changes
Drivers That Could Win
Chase Elliott (151.853), the favorite behind Kyle Larson to win the playoffs, has a unique opportunity to gain here. He almost won this race last spring and came away victorious during the All-Star race back in July.
Kurt Busch (153.703) is a bit of a long shot but still worth a considerable pick. His success here is better than any other driver besides his brother.
He has a win here in 2018, and three top 10’s out of four recent races. The win in 2018 marked his sixth total for this track.
Kevin Harvick (154.319) won this event back in 2020 and in 2016, but with the way his season has gone, it would be difficult to pick him here. The win last year was his only top-five finish out of seven recent tries here.
Potential Winning Pick
Kyle Busch (155.571) has had the most successful driving at this track. In fact, he has won here eight times, and that is two more than his brother.
Indeed, the Busch family “owns this race” with how dominant they have been. For now, the focus should be on Kyle Busch.
He will need this race to stay alive in the playoffs. With previous experience here and the must-have to get a win, look for him to perform with a potential victory.
Prop Play
Top 10 Finish: Kurt Busch (-135)
While Busch’s brother, Kyle, is the sportsbook favorite to win at Bristol tonight, Kurt has quietly had another strong season. Often driving in his brother’s shadow, Kurt picked up a victory earlier this season at Atlanta to make it eight straight years with at least one win.
He also made the playoffs for the ninth straight season, which ties him with his brother behind only Kevin Harvick (12) for the most consecutive seasons. Winner of the 2004 title, Kurt currently sits at the round of 12 cut line in a tie with Alex Bowman.
He opened the playoffs with a solid sixth-place finish at Darlington and was running in the Top 5 last week at Richmond before a tire issue crashed him out and caused a last-place finish. But Bristol offers an opportunity to move past that and advance at a track that he’s won six times in the Cup Series.
Rated No. 6 in this week’s Dunkel Index, we’ll take Kurt (-135) to put together another strong performance and finish in the Top 10 tonight in Bristol.
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