Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Predictions: Double-Duty Drivers Change the Mix

• William Byron and John Hunter Nemechek are moonlighting this weekend.

• Oddsmakers haven’t learned to appreciate JR Motorsports’ Carson Kvapil.

• Justin Allgaier is long overdue for a 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.

Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Betting Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook. Click odds in the table below and claim $200 in bonus bets when wagering at least $5 at DraftKings.

Our Picks for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200

• John Hunter Nemechek to win the race at +1100 via DraftKings

• Carson Kvapil to finish in the top three at +850 via DraftKings

Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 Predictions

Moonlighting NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Alter the Landscape

Now that the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash program has concluded for the season, NASCAR Cup Series drivers are eligible once again to compete in Xfinity Series races.

William Byron and John Hunter Nemechek are taking full advantage of the opportunity, and both are likely to be contenders in Saturday’s Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 at Darlington.

Oddsmakers have picked Byron to win the race at +265 via DraftKings, but we question his status as the favorite. Though Byron has won a Cup race at the Lady in Black, he finished fifth in his only Xfinity start there.

Nemechek hasn’t won at Darlington, but he has a pole, three top fives, and four top 10s in five starts there in Xfinity cars, and he’s listed at +1100 via DraftKings.

In addition, Nemechek already has won in the Xfinity Series this season, at Las Vegas, and he already has five starts in the series this year to Byron’s one.

To us, it’s a no-brainer to pick the driver offering a much bigger return—Nemechek.  

Oddsmakers Haven’t Learned to Love JRM Sensation Carson Kvapil

The pleasant surprise of the NASCAR Xfinity season has been JR Motorsports’ part-time driver Carson Kvapil.

In his first career start in the series in April, Kvapil ran a solid fourth at tricky Martinsville Speedway. In his second and most recent start, he finished second at another formidable track—Dover—and might well have won but for a late caution.

On Saturday, the late model star will make his first Xfinity start at Darlington. Yes, the 1.366-mile track us a major challenge, but that hasn’t seemed to bother the 20-year-old son of former Truck Series champ Travis Kvapil at other difficult venues.

That said, we like Kvapil to continue his run with a finish of third or better on Saturday (+850 via DraftKings). And who knows? A win might even be worth a bet at a whopping +3000 via DraftKings.

Justin Allgaier Is Due to Shake His Run of Extremely Bad Luck

Betting on Justin Allgaier has been a quick way to the poorhouse this season, given that the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has suffered almost every kind of ill fortune that can befall a competitor on a race track.

Could this be Allgaier’s week to break the jinx? Possibly, given that he his won twice at Darlington and has recorded seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 17 starts at the Track Too Tough to Tame.

Allgaier comes to Darlington with six straight starts of seventh or better—including the two wins—at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped track.

We’re tempted to recommend Allgaier at +400 via DraftKings, but we’ll withhold our approval until he proves he can overcome Murphy’s Law.

How to Watch the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200

• Race: Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race

• Location: Darlington Raceway

• Time: Saturday, May 11, 1:30 p.m. ET

• How to Watch: FS1