The regular season portion of the NASCAR schedule is complete, and the playoff field is set as the Xfinity Series is set to race Friday night under the lights for the opening race of the Round of 12.
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill won the Regular Season Championship, but Joe Gibbs Racing’s John H. Nemechek made NASCAR news by collecting major points in the final two races to enter the playoffs as the number one seed with a ten-point lead.
Onlinebettingsports highlights our favored NASCAR picks to finish in the top five heading to Bristol, with one emerging from the pack as our Food City 300 prediction to win the first round of the Xfinity Series playoffs.
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Overall Race Info & Outlook
- NASCAR Xfinity Series: Food City 300 – 300 Laps (159.9 mi | 257.3 km): Stage 1/2: 85 Laps, Stage 3: 130 Laps.
- In the last Xfinity Series race, John H. Nemechek led the most laps en route to landing on Victory Lane at Kansas, with Brandon Jones, Sheldon Creed, Parker Kligerman, and Austin Hill completing the top-five.
- Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennesse.
- Friday, September 15th, 2023, 4:30 PM ET. Where to Watch: USA, Peacock, NASCAR Live.
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Food City 300 Betting Preview
John H. Nemechek – Joe Gibbs Racing
Despite finishing second in the regular season, Nemechek starts the playoffs atop the NASCAR standings and is a clear favorite to win the 2023 Xfinity Series Drivers’ Championship. Nemechek is firing on all cylinders, having led the most laps and winning both stages in the previous two races.
- Nemechek has two consecutive top-three finishes, including winning last weekend in Kansas
- He has six race wins, 11 top-three, and 13 top-five finishes this season.
- Nemechek has 19 top-ten finishes this season.
Nemechek has four race wins in the previous ten races but an average finishing position of 12.0 across those races.
For Nemechek to win this race, he needs to drive his race and stay out of trouble. He is among the fastest Xfinity Series drivers and the most likely for a top-five finish in most races.
Austin Hill – Richard Childress Racing
Hill has been heavily featured in NASCAR Xfinity Series predictions as a regular favorite since opening the season with a win at Daytona. While Hill won the Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship, he opens the Round of 12 with a ten-point deficit to Nemechek and a 13-point lead over third.
- Hill has eight top-five finishes in the previous 12 races.
- He has four race wins, eight top-three, and 13 top-five finishes in 2023.
- Hill has three top-five finishes in the previous five races.
- His best finish at Bristol was third place in 2022.
Hill has an average finishing position of 7.8 in the previous ten races. Austin has been a consistent top-ten finisher this season, and staying in the lead pack will be critical for Hill to win at Bristol.
Brandon Jones – JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports’ Brandon Jones missed the Xfinity Series playoff cutoff and is currently 14th in the overall standings. While not necessarily a threat to win, Jones is fast around Bristol and is likely to fight for a second-consecutive top-five finish.
- Jones has two top-three and three top-five finishes this season.
- He has four top-ten finishes in the previous eight races.
Jones has three top-five and four top-ten finishes in the previous four Xfinity Series races at Bristol, with an average finishing position of 4.5.
JR Motorsports driver will need a little luck if he is going to get his first win at Bristol this weekend. However, he should challenge for a top-five and top-three finish.
Cole Custer – Stewart-Haas Racing
Cole Custer’s run of four consecutive top-ten finishes ended with his 36th-place finish at Kansas.
- Custer has two race wins, six top-three, and ten top-five finishes this season.
- He has finished outside the top ten in five of the previous nine races.
- Custer hasn’t finished inside the top three since Atlanta, having an average finishing position of 16.5 in the last ten races.
Custer is making his Xfinity Series debut at Bristol on Friday. For Custer to win this race, he needs an incredible performance and to channel his mid-season form, where he scored five top-three, seven top-five, and ten top-ten finishes from Richmond to Atlanta.
Justin Allgaier – JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier is the betting favorite and the oddsmakers’ Food City 300 prediction to take his first win at Bristol. Allgaier enters the Xfinity Series playoffs as the third seed, having finished third in the 2022 playoffs.
- Allgaier won stage one and finished ninth at Bristol in 2022.
- He has two race wins, nine top-three, and 11 top-ten finishes this season.
- Allgaier finished 18th at Kansas but has two top-five and three top-ten finishes in the previous five races.
Allgaier has two top-five and three top-ten finishes in the previous four races at Bristol, with an average finishing position of 9.0 at Bristol.
Considering he has six sub-tenth place finishes in the last ten races, the longer Allgaier can remain in or near the top five, the better his chances are of scoring his first win at Bristol.
Top Sportsbooks Odds
Betonline: Allgaier +285
Bovada: N/A
MyBookie: Allgaier +295
BetUS: Allgaier +285
BetNow: N/A
NASCAR Xfinity Series Odds & Picks
Odds for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300:
Here are the current NASCAR Odds for the opening round of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs:
Driver | Odds to Win | Top Three Finish | Top Five Finish |
John H. Nemechek | +310 | -161 | -300 |
Austin Hill | +1050 | +300 | -162 |
Justin Allgaier | +295 | -141 | -280 |
Brandon Jones | +2300 | +500 | +224 |
Cole Custer | +900 | +250 | +125 |
Recommended Pick:
OnlineBettingSports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 prediction has John H. Nemechek winning the opening race in the Xfinity Series Round of 12.
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