Tennessee Lottery 250 Predictions: Will This Be Custer’s First Stand?

• Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek lead a formidable JGR contingent.

• Ross Chastain is available at tempting odds, but the equipment is a question.

• Defending Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer is due for his first 2024 win.

Tennessee Lottery 250 Betting Odds

Odds taken from BetMGM. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets paid back!*
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Our Picks for the Tennessee Lottery 250

• Cole Custer to win the race at (+550) at BetMGM  

• Sheldon Creed to finish in the top three at (+450) at BetMGM 

• Austin Hill to finish in the top five at (+275) at BetMGM

Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek Are Moonlighting in Top Equipment

It’s no accident that Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek are the oddsmakers’ top two picks for Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250.

The two full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers are dropping down to the Xfinity Series as a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s Ally 400 Cup race, and they’re both driving top-notch Joe Gibbs Racing equipment.

Gibbs (+400) via BetMGM finished fourth in 2022 in his first Xfinity event at Nashville Superspeedway. Last year he crashed out in 37th place. Top five for Chastain at (+700) via BetMGM was sixth last season in his only Nashville appearance.

We don’t think those numbers justify positioning the two JGR Cup drivers as favorites to win on Saturday. As a consequence, we’re looking elsewhere.

Bet on Ty Gibbs (+400) at BetMGM 

Ross Chastain Is Available at Ridiculous Odds - and for Good Reason

At first glance, you might look at Ross Chastain’s price of (+5000) via BetMGM and jump at the chance.

After all, Chastain won last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the 1.33-mile concrete speedway, and he’s doing double duty with an Xfinity Series appearance on Saturday.

The problem is that the No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet Chastain will be driving doesn’t match his talent. We’re not disparaging the race team. We’re just noting that the DGM equipment typically isn’t competitive with the Gibbs, Childress and JR Motorsports counterparts.

DGM has never won an Xfinity Series race. Then again, Chastain has given Mario Gosselin two of his three top fives as an owner. Then again, those two fourth-place results both came on road courses.

But if you’re inclined to take a shot at a top five for Chastain at (+700) via BetMGM, we won’t hold it against you.

Bet on Ross Chastain to finish in top 5 (+700) at BetMGM 

Cole Custer Is Fast at Nashville - and Long Overdue for a Victory

Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer has ridden consistent performance to the top of the standings once again this year.

Only one problem: Custer doesn’t have a victory to his credit this season, and his 13 top 10s in 16 starts have produced only two stage wins and two corresponding Playoff points.

If Custer is going to contend for a title, he’ll have to start winning races and accumulating Playoff points. We think he’ll start doing so on Saturday at a track where he won the pole, led 32 laps and finished ninth last year.

At (+550) via BetMGM, Custer is available at a slightly better price than Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek, and we think Custer has an equal chance of winning the race.

Bet on Cole Custer (+550) at BetMGM 

How to Watch the Tennessee Lottery 250

• Race: Tennessee Lottery 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race

• Location: Nashville Superspeedway

• Time: Saturday, June 29, 5 p.m. ET.

• How to Watch: USA