Enjoy Illinois 300 Betting Preview/Prop Pick
02 June 2022
NASCAR fans will take the trip to Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, for the first-ever race on the calendar here. The Enjoy Illinois 300 features plenty of potential favorites that are rising to take hold of the Cup Series lead.
The usual favorites are still a priority to look at, but a handful could surprise here. Below you can see which drivers make the best case to win.
Race Details
Date: Sun, Jun 5, 3:30 PM
Watch on: FS1
Track: Gateway Motorsports Park
Betting Overview
Since this is the first time that this event is being held here, there is not any previous history to look at. The best bet, for now, is to look at drivers that have some of the better momentum coming into this race.
These include Kyle Busch, Chase Elliot, and even Denny Hamlin. You cannot count out an underdog, especially since this season has had plenty of twists and turns.
Head to Head Matchup to Watch
Ryan Blaney (181.596) and Denny Hamlin (188.360) are a great duo to watch compete. Both have won recently to give them positive momentum heading into this event.
Blaney won the All-Star race, and Hamlin just won the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend. Hamlin actually came in second at the All-Star race, so he arguably has the best momentum heading into this one.
Dunkel Index For This Event
The Dunkel Index is showing these top 10 drivers that could win this event. The following ten are:
1 Ryan Blaney 181.596
2 William Byron 183.032
3 Chase Elliott 183.103
4 Tyler Reddick 185.633
5 Chase Briscoe 185.859
6 Christopher Bell 187.035
7 Kevin Harvick 187.790
8 Kyle Busch 187.924
9 Alex Bowman 188.149
10 Denny Hamlin 188.360
*index is subject to changes
Drivers That Could Win
Denny Hamlin (188.360) is quietly being dangerous this season. After a ridiculous start to the season, he might be finding his groove at the right time.
Currently 17th in Cup Series points, he recorded a victory at the Toyota Owners 400 and recently at the Coca-Cola 600. He is arguably doing much better now after that recent win, but he could be onto something.
Chase Elliott (183.103) is slowly losing traction at his number one spot in the Cup Series. He needs to perform well here or risk taking a hit. He has a fifth-place finish at Darlington recently but has not finished his last two races.
Potential Winning Pick
Kyle Busch (187.924) is currently third in the Cup Series rankings, and every race will be more important than the last. He just recently came in second at the Coca-Cola 600 and has plenty of other excellent finishes this year.
Over the last seven out of eight races worth points, he has placed in the top 10. This also includes a top-three finish and a victory at the Dirt Race. Based on recent momentum, he is arguably the best driver coming into this event.
Prop Pick
Head-To-Head Matchup: Chase Elliott (-110) OVER Ross Chastain
Elliott has had a rough couple of weeks capped off by his 33rd place finish at Charlotte last week. But he has done well at tracks similar to Gateway, including a 1st at Dover and 5th at Darlington. Elliott ranks No. 1 in Average Driver Rating (97.9) and No. 2 in Average Running Position (11.1).
After a blistering start that saw Chastain become just the third driver to win twice in his first 10 races, the No. 1 car has cooled down a bit with a 30th at Darlington and 22nd at the All-Star Race. He ranks No. 4 in Average Driver Rating (95) and No. 8 in Average Running Position (12.5).
With Elliott rated No. 3 in this week’s Dunkel Index and Chastain No. 13, both drivers will be looking for strong bounce-back performances, but take the No. 9 car (-110) to have the edge in this matchup.
Keep up with your latest NASCAR news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.
All Media on this page by Associated Press.
