Focused Health 250 Predictions: Featuring Two Stars from the Kaulig Team

• Sam Mayer has a chance to turn his season around on a road course.

• Shane van Gisbergen gets the opportunity to show his mettle at COTA.

• AJ Allmendinger goes for three-peat at Circuit of the Americas.

Focused Health 250 Betting Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook. Click odds in the table below and claim $150 in bonus bets when wagering at least $5 at DraftKings.

Our Picks for the Focused Health 250

• AJ Allmendinger to win the race at +310 at DraftKings

• Parker Kligerman to finish in the top three at +700 at DraftKings

Focused Health 250 Predictions

Sam Mayer Can Turn His Season Around on First Visit to Road Course

JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer enjoyed a breakout four-victory season last year, but his start to 2024 could hardly have been worse.

Mayer has crashed out of three of the first four events of the season, finishing on the lead lap only at Atlanta, where his 11th-place finish was his best result of the year.

Now the NASCAR Xfinity Series moves to its first road course of the season—3.426-mile, 20-turn Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas—giving Mayer an excellent opportunity to kick-start a 2024 comeback.

Mayer’s first three wins last year came on road courses—at Road America, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte Roval. He also finished second on the Indianapolis Grand Prix Course.

So if you’re looking for a good long-shot pick to go against the short-odds favorites, Mayer is your best bet at +1200 via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Shane Van Gisbergen Is Back in Familiar Road-Course Territory

New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen has spent the first four races of the Xfinity Series season learning how to race on NASCAR ovals—and not without some success.

But now the three-time V8 SuperCars champion gets to race on a familiar milieu—a road course.

Though this will be van Gisbergen’s first visit to Circuit of the Americas, that shouldn’t be a factor. In his first NASCAR race, on the Chicago Street Course, van Gisbergen beat the NASCAR Cup Series regulars to win last year’s debut event in the Windy City.

The Kiwi followed that performance with a 10th-place run at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Course.

If it weren’t for the presence of his Kaulig Racing teammate, we might be tempted to back van Gisbergen at +500 via DraftKings.

AJ Allmendinger Can Win Third Straight Race at Circuit of the Americas

There’s no doubt that AJ Allmendinger will face formidable competition in Saturday’s Focused Health 250.

As noted above, his Kaulig Racing teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, will be a threat. So will betting favorite Kyle Larson (+250) and Ty Gibbs (+350), who are moonlighting from the Cup Series on Saturday.

But Allmendinger has won the last two Xfinity Series races at Circuit of the Americas, and 11 of his 17 Xfinity wins have come on road courses.

Bottom line? The Dinger is the foremost road course ace in the series. So, despite the competition, we can’t go against Allmendinger on Saturday, even at a meager +310 via DraftKings Sportsbook.

How to Watch the Focused Health 250

• Race: Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race

• Location: Circuit of the Americas (Austin, Texas)

• Time: Saturday, March 23, 5 p.m. ET

• How to Watch: FS1