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2023 YellaWood 500 Sleeper Picks

By Jeff Stinger

The YellaWood 500 kicks off its 109th edition hosted by Talladega Superspeedway in Cup Series history. Drivers get to battle it out around a 2.66-mile oval in Lincoln, Alabama. Talladega is known for being the largest oval on the NASCAR calendar, featuring 33 degrees of banking in the turns, 16.5 degrees of banking on the tri-oval, and three degrees on the backstretch.

What makes the 2023 YellaWood 500 a favorite among motorsport fans and bettors is the fact that drivers need to employ a different strategy to succeed. Sunday’s race features the Round of 12 in the Cup Series Playoffs. The event puts more pressure on drivers and teams and could open up winning opportunities for underdogs. That said, Nitrobetting shares a list of the top sleeper picks you should look out for this weekend.

A Closer Look at the top 2023 YellaWood 500 Sleeper Picks

Ryan Blaney

  • 2023 YellaWood 500 Race Odds: +1.200

You can find Blaney behind the wheel of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang. He is in his sixth year driving full-time for Roger Penske and company and his eighth year in the top-tier division of NASCAR. Blaney achieved glory eight times since joining the Cup Series, featuring a debut win at Pocono Raceway in 2017 and most recently the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Furthermore, Blaney holds an exhibition win from last season’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway. His trophy case also includes seven career wins in the Xfinity Series and four in the Camping World Truck Series.

Blaney is just a place shy of the 2023 season top ten. He is the eleventh-ranked driver with 3028 points. The 29-year-old stood on top of the podium once in 30 Cup Series races this year, including 13 top-ten, and four top-five finishes. The Ohio native holds an average start of 12.733 and an average finish of 16.1.

Joey Logano

  • 2023 YellaWood 500 Race Odds: +1.300

It’s strange to find Logano as a sleeper pick, but his current form puts him behind the favorites this season. The Connecticut-born driver is the 2018 and 2022 champion driving the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. His previous title run spotlights a victory in the inaugural Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and followed it up with four more wins. In June, he successfully raced the Cup Series’ inaugural race at WWT Raceway. He is a tested Cup winner and a veteran driver packing years of experience.

Joey Logano ranks 15th in the 2023 Cup Series standings with 2087 points. He has one win in 30 races this year, including 14 top-ten and nine top-five appearances. However, his slightly declining averages start and finish of 11.433 and 15.533, respectively, putting him just past the favorites but a prime sleeper pick for this weekend’s YellaWood 500.

Ty Gibbs

  • 2023 YellaWood 500 Race Odds: +2,000

Holding onto 18th place in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series standings is North Carolina man Ty Gibbs. He races full-time in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota ahead of a seven-victory run in the 2022 Xfinity Series, in which he claimed the season’s championship trophy. He is the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Joe Gibbs and has roots embedded in motorsport since birth. Gibbs also won the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2021 while racing part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His swift rise to the spotlight makes him a solid sleeper pick for this weekend’s race.

Ty Gibbs finished in the top ten eight times and the top five three times in 30 races this season. Despite declining figures highlighting a 14.6 average start and an 18.133 average finish, we know how good Gibbs is when locked in.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NASCAR previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest motor sports betting odds on our crypto sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.

READ MORE: 2023 YellaWood 500 NASCAR Odds & Prediction