2021 Bank Of America ROVAL 400: NASCAR CUP Picks, Predictions, Odds, Longshots
The NASCAR Cup Series will run the final race in the round of 12 of the 2021 playoffs on Sunday at the Charlotte Roval in the Bank of America ROVAL 400. The 4 drivers on the outside looking in include Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, William Bryon, and Alex Bowman. The ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway is a 2.28-mile road course. Only 3 races have been run at the ROVAL, and both races were very exciting to the end.
Here are a few drivers to consider for Bank of America ROVAL 400.
Chase Elliott +220- Chase comes into Sunday’s race starting outside row 4 in the 8th position next to Kevin Harvick. Elliott has been dominant on road courses as of late, winning 6 of the last 11 Cup Series races held on road courses. In 19 career Cup Series starts on road courses, Elliott has 11 top 5 finishes including 7 career wins. Chase is only 9 above the cut line to get into the Round of 8 beginning next race, look for the heavy favorite to be leading the pack quickly.
Kyle Larson +450- Larson will lead the field to the green flag from the 10th position on Sunday afternoon in the Bank of America ROVAL 400. Larson has 4 top 5 finishes including 2 wins in the 6 Cup Series road course events held here in 2021 to date. Over the last 14 Cup Series road course events, Larson has the 3rd best average driver rating of 108.6. Larson has never finished inside the top 10 at the ROVAL in Charlotte in the Cup Series but the team has been a force alongside Chase Elliott on road courses look for a great day.
Martin Truex Jr. +700- Truex fires off from the 5th starting spot on Sunday afternoon for the Bank of America Roval 400. Truex has the 2nd best average driver rating of 112.7 over the last 14 Cup Series races held on road courses that includes 7 top 5 finishes and 2 victories. Truex has consecutive 7th place finishes here at the Charlotte ROVAL in the Cup Series, was 5th in green flag speed in the 2020 Cup Race here. 20 points above the cut line, Truex doesn’t need a win heading into the race necessarily but it would guarantee a spot into the Round of 8.
William Bryon +1300- Byron will roll off from the 11th position on Sunday afternoon on the Charlotte ROVAL. After the disappointing 18th at Las Vegas, Bryon ends up in the big wreck at Talladega last week finishing 36th. 44 points below the cut line into the Round of 8 in the Cup Series Playoffs, Bryon must win on Sunday afternoon to move on. In the 3 Cup Series races held on the Charlotte ROVAL, William has the 3rd best average driver rating of 105.2 which includes 2 top 10 finishes. Bryon was 3rd best in green flag speed in 2019 as well as 2020 in the Cup races on the ROVAL, look for a nice rebound on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney +2200- Blaney is the long shot play of the week, hard to believe at the high price heading into Sunday’s Cup Series event. Blaney won the inaugural Cup Series event on the Charlotte ROVAL in 2018, followed up by an 8th place finish in 2019 and a 5th place finish in 2020. Blaney ran the best green flag speed in 2020 here at the Charlotte ROVAL and in 14 career Cup Series starts on road courses has 5 top 5 finishes. Blaney is 15 above the cut line and in need of a good finish.
AUTHOR: Jeff Jeter
