Nalley Cars 250 Predictions, Betting Odds, Picks (Xfinity Series)

• After Phoenix win, Noah Gragson goes for his fifth straight podium finish.
• In top-notch equipment, Trevor Bayne is a good bet to finish near the front.
• If Atlanta races like a superspeedway, the Kaulig cars should be in top form.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

A freshly repaved racing surface with a narrower groove will complicate matters for the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, who will race at the 1.54-mile intermediate speedway for the first time since the reprofiling of the track was completed in December.

Saturday’s Nalley Cars 250 will be contested over 163 laps (251 miles), with stage breaks scheduled after 40 and 80 laps. Justin Allgaier is the defending winner of the race.

Noah Gragson Comes to Atlanta Seeking Fifth Straight Podium Finish

Last week, we said Noah Gragson was due for a victory. He proved us right at the earliest opportunity—and sooner than we expected—by winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Phoenix Raceway.

The win marked the fourth straight podium finish for the driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, following a third in the season opener at Daytona and a pair of runner-up results at Fontana, Calif., and Las Vegas.

Clearly, Gragson is on a roll, and we see no end in sight for the current Xfinity Series leader, who ran third in his last outing at Atlanta last July. In his last three Atlanta starts, Gragson has finished second, fourth and third.

Hence, we recommend a bet on Gragson to win (+650 via DraftKings Sportsbook) and to finish in the top three (+200).

Trevor Bayne Is on the Cusp of Winning in Top-Notch JGR Equipment

Trevor Bayne is running an abbreviated schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing this season, and in both his 2021 starts, we recommended betting on the driver of the No. 18 Toyota to finish on the top three.

Sure enough, Bayne ran third at Fontana, but he was hit with a pit road speeding penalty last Saturday at Phoenix and could only recover to finish fourth, one spot off the podium.

But we still have confidence in Bayne, particular at a track where NASCAR has mandated a reduced-horsepower superspeedway package. After all, Bayne’s first NASCAR win came in the 2011 Daytona 500.

If you’re feeling ambitious, bet on Bayne to win at +1000 via DraftKings Sportsbook. But in any case, put your money on the No. 18 Supra to run top-three at +250.

If There’s Pack Racing at Atlanta, You Can’t Discount the Kaulig Cars

Given the new pavement and new profile at Atlanta Motor Speedway, no one seems to know what the racing will look like in Saturday’s Nally Cars 250.

If the superspeedway package in use at the track promotes close drafting in a large pack, you can’t ignore the Kaulig Racing Chevrolets. Kaulig drivers have won three of the last six Xfinity races at Daytona and three of the last four at Talladega.

OK, superspeedway stud Justin Haley has graduated to the Cup Series, but AJ Allmendinger is still carrying the Kaulig banner in the Xfinity Series this season, along with new teammates Daniel Hemric (reigning series champion) and Landon Cassill.

But don’t bet on AJ. He’s priced at +700 via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Cassill, on the other hand, is available at +1500 to win and +350 to finish in the top three. He’s an adept superspeedway racer, so give it a shot. When one Kaulig car runs up front, the others usually are there, too.

How to Watch Nalley Cars 250