NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Betting Picks: Buckle Up South Carolina 200

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Betting Picks: Buckle Up South Carolina 200

For the final time this year, Kyle Busch has come to torment the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The Buckle Up South Carolina 200 will be Busch's fifth race of the year, the max he is allowed to run under NASCAR's current structure. Busch has won two of the first four races, so he's not invincible. But he's pretty dang tough.

Luckily, I think my win sims are giving him proper respect. I'm not as high on him as FanDuel Sportsbook's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series betting odds, but I think they're about as high on them as they can be prior to practice and qualifying.

Here's what those sims look like now before we see trucks on track this afternoon.

Driver	Win	Podium	Top 5
Kyle Busch	31.9%	59.8%	71.3%
Christian Eckes	15.2%	43.7%	60.5%
Corey Heim	14.7%	38.9%	55.0%
Nick Sanchez	6.8%	22.9%	37.2%
Taylor Gray	4.6%	16.5%	29.7%
Ross Chastain	4.4%	16.2%	29.4%
Tyler Ankrum	3.9%	14.9%	27.2%

View Full Table

Busch's 31.9% odds are lofty, given how short the race is, putting a heavier emphasis on starting position. They're just not high enough to bet him at +130, which translates to 43.5% implied odds.

There are two drivers where my model is at least half a percentage point above market: Tyler Ankrum (+2800) and Stewart Friesen (+5000). I'd prefer Friesen in a more forgiving market, but Ankrum does justify outright interest.

This is Ankrum's first year with McAnally Hilgemann Racing, a big equipment jump for him from Hattori. Even with Hattori, though, Ankrum posted an eighth-place finish at Darlington back in 2022. He also previously had a runner-up at Homestead -- another track with lots of tire degradation -- back in 2020, his age-19 season.

Ankrum has put the improved equipment to good use this season. He finished runner-up in Las Vegas, besting Busch even before Busch had issues late, and he had a top-five run in Bristol, another high-banked track.

I'm not super far above market on Ankrum (3.9% versus 3.4% implied at +2800). But he's as short as +1600 at some other books, and I thought I was being conservative with my modeling of him here. That's why, even with Busch in the field, I think you could consider betting Ankrum outright on Friday night.

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Which drivers stand out to you in Friday's race? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series betting odds to see the full menu of options.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.