Go Bowling at the Glen 2023 Betting Preview

Michael McDowell's (280.221) victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course is more evidence that anything can happen at any NASCAR race.

McDowell's excellent weekend at Indy and race win booked his ticket to the playoffs, while Chase Elliott (276.731), Daniel Suárez (280.403), Tyler Reddick (279.211), and Alex Bowman rounded out the top-five finishers.

With a second consecutive road course on the NASCAR schedule, many of last week's top finishers are atop the betting favorites for this weekend at Watkins Glen. 

With only two more races for drivers to make the playoffs, the pressure is on the drivers on the cusp of the playoffs -  including the betting favorite to win at Watkins Glen, the Dunkel Index has your betting picks covered in our Go Bowling at the Glen preview.

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Martin Truex Jr.. +700

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Dunkel's Top 10

The Top 10 drivers entering this event, according to the Dunkel Index:

Toyota's Road Course Challengers

Martin Truex Jr. - Joe Gibbs Racing

Current Cup Series Drivers' standings leader Martin Truex Jr's (273.715) season so far makes him a weekly betting favorite. His win at Sonoma this season and at Watkins Glen in 2017 makes him a favorite to win when the Cup Series tackles road courses.

Truex Jr. finished seventh at Indy, his fifth consecutive top-ten finish and ninth top-five finish in the last eleven races. Truex Jr. is likely to add a fifteenth top-ten finish to his season totals on Sunday and will be in the mix to win his fourth race of the season.

Tyler Reddick  - 23XI Racing

23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick's (279.211) road course skills have him in the top-ten mix most weekends. Reddick has two top-ten finishes on road circuits this season, including winning at Circuit of the Americas.

Reddick has finished in the top ten in the last two races at Watkins Glen and has ten top-ten finishes this season, including in three of the previous five races.

Denny Hamlin - Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin (281.956) won at Watkins Glen in 2016 and has one top-five finish in the last two seasons in New York. While Hamlin is second in the Drivers' standings and won stage 2 at Indy, his 19th-place finish ended a three-race top-three finishing streak. 

Hamlin has two race wins and eleven top-ten finishes this season but hasn't finished higher than eleventh on a road or street circuit this season.

Will Hendrick Motorsports' Watkins Glen Domination Continue?

One team and two drivers have crushed the field in the NASCAR Cup Series' last four trips to Watkins Glen, as Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet look for their fifth consecutive win in New York. 

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson (279.409) enters Watkins Glen having won back-to-back races in 2021 and 2022. Notably, Larson also won the Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen last weekend. Larson finished eighth at Indy, his third top-ten finish on road courses this season.

Larson has two race wins and 12 top-ten finishes this season and should compete for his third consecutive win.

Chase Elliott

However, Larson is not the favorite from Hendrick Motorsport that has the most impressive recent form at Watkins Glen. Chase Elliott (276.731) was on pole position last year and finished fourth after contact from Larson, making it four consecutive top-five finishes having won in 2018 & 2019.

Elliott is currently on the outside of the playoff picture, mostly due to missed races with injury, but has his best chance to win his way in scoring his first win of the season at the Glen. Elliott has nine top-ten finishes in the 24 races he's entered.

The Dunkel Index's Pick to Win the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen

The Dunkel Index is taking Joe Gibbs' Racing and current Cup Series Championship favorite Martin Truex Jr. (273.715) to win at Watkins Glen for the second time in his career.

Keep up with your latest NASCAR news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.

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