On Sunday, October 11th, NASCAR will be live from Charlotte for some road racing as the drivers take to the ROVAL road course. This is the final race for Round 2 of the Playoffs as four drivers will be eliminated at the conclusion of this event. Additionally, this is the 32nd overall race of the 2020 season.
Last weekend, Denny Hamlin survived the crashes late in the race to narrowly win at Talladega and secure a spot in the Round of 8 (Round 3). He’s one of the favorites for this weekend’s road race as well.
However, Chase Elliott is the consensus choice as the odds on favorite to win the Bank of America ROVAL 400 according to NASCAR betting sites. Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Ryan Blaney join Elliott and Hamlin as the Top 5 betting favorites.
Race Profile
The first ROVAL race was held in 2018 and, by all accounts, it was a hit with the fans and drivers. Charlotte’s road course is 2.28 miles long per lap and features 17 turns with banking from two to 24 degrees.
This weekend’s race breaks down as follows:
- Total Miles: 248.5 Miles
- Total Laps: 109 laps
- Stage 1: First 25 Laps
- Stage 2: Second 25 Laps
- Final Stage: Remaining 59 laps
Another day closer. 😍 #BofAROVAL pic.twitter.com/y2gEIGP2SK
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) October 7, 2020
The Bank of America ROVAL 400 is set to begin at 2:30PM ET and will air live on NBC.
What to Watch for at Charlotte
With all of the racing excitement heading into the final race of Round 2 of the Playoffs, the following storylines are worth keeping an eye on at Charlotte’s road course:
- Which drivers get eliminated from the Playoffs?
- Can Elliott or Blaney win ROVAL again?
- Will Kyle Busch or Martin Truex pull out a big win?
- Will Toyota even be a factor in this race?
- Can a non-Playoff driver win this race?
2020 NASCAR Playoff Standings
The current Playoff standings (based on points) heading into the Bank of America 400 ROVAL, which is the final race of Round 2:
- Denny Hamlin (3141) won second round race
- Kevin Harvick (3121)
- Chase Elliott (3097)
- Brad Keselowski (3094)
- Martin Truex Jr. (3085)
- Alex Bowman (3075)
- Joey Logano (3074)
- Kyle Busch (3053)
Below Cutoff Line
- Kurt Busch (3048) won second round race
- Austin Dillon (3053)
- Clint Bowyer (3036)
- Aric Almirola (3026)
Previous Bank of America ROVAL 400 Winners
As mentioned, the ROVAL was introduced to NASCAR’s Cup series in 2018 and won by Ryan Blaney. Chase Elliott would go on to win this race in 2019.
LEFT: Charlotte Motor Speedway
RIGHT: The Roval#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/DiGSFN9EjC— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) October 8, 2020
Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch have the most road course wins among active drivers with four apiece. Elliott has won three straight road course races dating back to 2019: Daytona’s road course this year, ROVAL in 2019, and Watkins Glen in 2019.
NASCAR Bank of America ROVAL 400 Betting Odds
The following betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
- Chase Elliott (+275)
- Kevin Harvick (+600)
- Martin Truex Jr (+600)
- Denny Hamlin (+700)
- Ryan Blaney (+1000)
- Brad Keselowski (+1400)
- Clint Bowyer (+1400)
- Joey Logano (+1600)
- Kyle Busch (+1600)
- Alex Bowman (+1800)
- Jimmie Johnson(+2000)
- Kurt Busch (+2000)
- William Byron (+2200)
- Aric Almirola (+5000)
- Erik Jones (+5000)
- Matt DiBenedetto (+5000)
- Michael McDowell (+5000)
- Chris Buescher (+6600)
- Christopher Bell (+6600)
- Tyler Reddick (+6600)
- Austin Dillon (+10000)
- Cole Custer (+10000)
- Matt Kenseth (+10000)
- Ryan Newman (+10000)
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Betting Favorites
According to most online betting sites, the following drivers are considered the odds on favorites to win the Bank of America ROVAL 400:
| Driver | Total RC Wins | Sonoma Avg. | Watkins Glen Avg. | Charlotte ROVAL Avg. | Daytona’s Road Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Elliott | 4 | 17.5 | 7.0 | 3.5 | 1.0 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 4 | 18.1 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 3.0 |
| Kevin Harvick | 2 | 12.7 | 12.9 | 6.0 | 17.0 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 17.7 | 16.3 | 15.5 | 2.0 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 17.2 | 11.0 | 4.5 | 31.0 |
Chase Elliott (+275)
- Top 3 (+134)
- Top 5 (-200)
- Top 10 (-625)
After a 5th place result at Talladega last weekend, Elliott has climbed up three spots in the standings to sit 3rd overall in points. Although he hasn’t clinched a spot in the next round, Elliott’s history on road courses suggest it’s just a mere formality when it comes to advancing.
Elliott has won three straight road course races and four of the last five. This year, NASCAR didn’t go to Sonoma or Watkins Glen, but they did try out Daytona’s road course for the first time and Elliott won that race.
Returning to the scene of the crime. 💨@chaseelliott | #BofAROVALpic.twitter.com/xnAdTKVpxE
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) October 8, 2020
In Elliott’s last seven road races, he’s won four times and finished in the Top 6 six times over that span. One of those wins came in this ROVAL race last year.
I see Elliott being a Top 10, Top 5, and Top 3 car. He’s definitely the man to beat at Charlotte Sunday.
Martin Truex Jr (+600)
- Top 3 (+145)
- Top 5 (-125)
- Top 10 (-400)
Truex fell one spot to 5th in the standings after a 23rd place result at Talladega. However, like Elliott, Truex is a strong road racer who has been the only other driver to really compete with Elliott on these courses over the last few years.
Truex is every bit as good of a road course driver as Elliott is. The rest of the field is in their rear view mirrors. Like Chase, Truex also has four road course wins with three coming at Sonoma and one at Watkins Glen.
Truex has a 10.5 average finish at ROVAL. He was 14th in 2018 and 7th in 2019. This year, Truex finished 3rd at Daytona’s road course behind Elliott and teammate Denny Hamlin.
Last year, Truex won at Sonoma, was 2nd to Elliott at Watkins Glen and 7th at ROVAL. A 3rd at Daytona showed that he’s right up there with Elliott as the drivers to beat on Sunday.
Truex is a Top 10, Top 5, and Top 3 car. Additionally, he’s the only other driver with a realistic chance at beating Elliott this weekend.
Kevin Harvick (+600)
- Top 3 (+225)
- Top 5 (+125)
- Top 10 (-265)
For the first time in at least four months, Kevin Harvick is no longer the leader in points. Hamlin passed him up by winning last weekend in Talladega. Harvick finished 20th in that race.
Now, the #4 car heads to another track where he’s not the betting favorite, but does have a 6.0 average finish at. Harvick finished 9th in 2018 and 3rd last year at the ROVAL.
4 wheels are overrated. 😎#BofARoval // @KevinHarvick pic.twitter.com/PXurBPBhy0
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) October 7, 2020
In 2019, Harvick had a strong run on the road courses as he finished 6th at Sonoma, 7th at Watkins Glen, and 3rd at ROVAL as mentioned. This year, he was 17th at Daytona’s road course.
Harvick should be a Top 10 car with a Top 5 ceiling. I think he can steal this race if one of the other favorites like Elliott or Truex slips up or has car issues.
Denny Hamlin (+700)
- Top 3 (+225)
- Top 5 (+125)
- Top 10 (-265)
As mentioned, Hamlin finished 2nd at Daytona’s road course this year. It was a surprisingly strong performance considering he has just one road course win in 31 career road races. That victory came at Watkins Glen in 2016. Of the betting favorites, Hamlin has the lowest ROVAL average finish (15.5).
With that said, Hamlin has really done well in road races over the last few years. In the last 11 road course events, Hamlin has one win, seven Top 5s, and eight Top 10s.
Hamlin will start on the pole this Sunday due to his win last weekend. This will give him an advantage in the early portions of the race.
I like Hamlin to be a Top 10 car, possibly crack the Top 5, but probably fall short of the Top 3.
Ryan Blaney (+1000)
- Top 3 (+325)
- Top 5 (+180)
- Top 10 (-200)
Of all the non-Playoff drivers, Ryan Blaney is the one with the best chance at winning this event.
In 11 road races, Blaney has one win, three Top 5s, and six Top 10s. That one road course win came in the 2018 ROVAL race. He would end up 8th in the 2019 ROVAL race, which gives him a 4.5 average finish at this track.
Blaney didn’t race well at Daytona’s road course this year as he finished 31st due to issues with his car. However, I wouldn’t hold that against him.
Of all the road courses, this is the one that Blaney does the best at. I expect the Team Penske Ford driver to be a Top 10 and Top 5 car with a shot at the Top 3. He will be a car to watch out for in the final laps of this race.
The Best Bank of America ROVAL 400 Betting Value
The following NASCAR drivers offer betting value for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 due to their current betting odds, their past success on road courses, and their 2020 season so far:
| Driver | Total RC Wins | Sonoma Avg. | Watkins Glen Avg. | Charlotte ROVAL Avg. | Daytona’s Road Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Keselowski | 0 | 16.8 | 11.2 | 18.0 | 13.0 |
| Clint Bowyer | 1 | 10.1 | 14.5 | 3.5 | 6.0 |
| Kyle Busch | 4 | 15.3 | 9.5 | 34.5 | 37.0 |
| Alex Bowman | 0 | 20.8 | 23.2 | 3.0 | 12.0 |
Brad Keselowski (+1400)
- Top 3 (+400)
- Top 5 (+200)
- Top 10 (-162)
Heading into the Daytona road race, I thought Keselowski had potential to crack the Top 5. Unfortunately, he fell short of that as he finished 13th. Nevertheless, that still gives him an 8.0 average finish over the last three road races.
Keselowski finished 5th in this race last year. That was a marked improvement over his 31st place result in 2018, which was due to a crash.
Keselowski currently sits 4th in points and should be able to advance to the next round as long as he doesn’t crash out of this race.
With that said, I like his Top 10 value at ROVAL this weekend.
Clint Bowyer (+1400)
- Top 3 (+400)
- Top 5 (+200)
- Top 10 (-182)
I had Bowyer pegged for a Top 10 finish at Daytona’s road course this year and he didn’t disappoint. Bowyer came home 6th. I like the #14 car to once again crack the Top 10 in a road race and I think he offers high upside with a Top 5 result.
Bowyer is one of two drivers, with the other being Alex Bowman, to finish in the Top 5 for both ROVAL races as he was 3rd in 2018 and 4th in 2019.
Further evidence that Bowyer offers value this weekend is the fact that he’s been a fantastic driver at Sonoma with one win, eight Top 5s, and 10 Top 10s in 14 races.
Here’s one more stat to throw at you, in 30 road course races, Bowyer has 17 Top 10s including six in the last eight road course events.
Sitting 11th in Playoff points, Bowyer is going to need another Top 5 finish on Sunday to have a shot at advancing to the next round.
Kyle Busch (+1600)
- Top 3 (+400)
- Top 5 (+200)
- Top 10 (-182)
As mentioned, Kyle Busch is tied with Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. with four road course wins in his career. However, he’s struggled to find success at ROVAL with an average finish of 34.5 due to a crash and car issues. At Daytona this year, he finished 37th due to a crash.
Busch’s Playoff life is on the line. He sits below the cutoff line due to his brother winning at Las Vegas and automatically advancing to the next round.
At Sonoma and Watkins Glen, Busch has one victory, nine Top 7s, and five Top 11s in the last 10 races at those tracks.
Busch offers small value for a Top 10 finish. He’s a risky wager for a Top 5 result.
Alex Bowman (+1800)
- Top 3 (+400)
- Top 5 (+260)
- Top 10 (-182)
Bowman is not known for being a road course racer. Yet, it’s hard to ignore what he’s done at ROVAL despite his lack of success at other road races.
In the two ROVAL events, Bowman has finished 4th and 2nd overall. He leads the field with a 3.0 average finish. Last year, he was 14th at Watkins Glen and Sonoma. At Daytona’s road race this year, he finished 12th. That’s a 13.0 average finish in the last four road races.
I believe Bowman has value with a Top 10 result and is a risky play for a Top 5 finish. However, the #88 car is also fighting to move on to the next round in the Playoffs. A strong result on Sunday will help him advance via points as he currently sits 6th in the standings.
The Top Longshot to Win the Bank of America ROVAL 400
Matt DiBenedetto (+5000)
- Top 3 (+1000)
- Top 5 (+550)
- Top 10 (+140)
DiBenedetto is my longshot choice to win the race, to finish in the Top 3 and the Top 5.
He started off his career with poor results in road races, but turned things around in 2019. Last year, he finished 4th at Sonoma, 6th at Watkins Glen, and 11th at ROVAL. He was 15th at Daytona this year. That’s an average finish of 9.0 in the last four road course races.
“Matty D.” finished 2nd last weekend at Talladega, but was penalized due to crossing below the yellow line and ended up 21st.
However, like last weekend, there’s no pressure on DiBenedetto this Sunday since he’s not in the Playoffs. The #21 car could be a sneaky play this weekend.
Who Gets Eliminated From the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs?
This is going to be a tough day for four Playoff drivers as they get eliminated from the postseason. Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola are not known for their road course racing. I don’t see either of them finishing high enough to move on to the next round.
The other two drivers below the cutoff line are Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch. Both need either a win or a Top 5 and for drivers like Joey Logano and Alex Bowman to crash out or finish near the back of the field.
Logano has finished 10th in both ROVAL races and we already established that Bowman has the best average finish among active drives at ROVAL with a 3.0.
Even if Busch and Bowyer can finish in the Top 5, they most likely won’t earn enough points to pass Logano and Bowman in the standings as they’re both up by 21 points and 22 points respectively.
Drivers Eliminated:
- Kyle Busch
- Clint Bowyer
- Austin Dillon
- Aric Almirola
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Checkered Flag
There are several drivers that can crack the Top 5 like Bowman, Harvick, Hamlin, and Bowyer. But, the three drivers that I think will be the best cars on Sunday are Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney.
With that in mind, you have to be crazy to think that the winner won’t be either Chase Elliott or Martin Truex Jr.
ROVAL™️ wins mean more. 💯 #BofAROVAL | #DriveForTheCure250 pic.twitter.com/fArKx00D6z
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) October 2, 2020
Elliott is looking to win a 4th straight road race, while Truex is trying to get back into the winner’s circle on a road course for the first time since Sonoma last year. These two have combined to win the last five road races.
Elliott took Daytona’s road course this year and ROVAL last year, but I think Truex is going to edge out Elliott this Sunday.
Now, this could entirely be a sentimental choice as Elliott is the smart, safe play. However, Truex is due for a win, needs a strong run to advance and is one of the best road course drivers.
My Top 5 Drivers
- Chase Elliott
- Kevin Harvick
- Ryan Blaney
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Alex Bowman
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Prop Bets
The following NASCAR prop bets are courtesy of DraftKings:
Car Number of Race Winner
- Even (-112)
- Odd (-118)
The two betting favorites drive odd numbered cars as Elliott is #9 and Truex is #19. The smart play for this prop bet is definitely on the Odd option.
Car Number of Race Winner –Odd (-118)
Car Number of Race Winner
- Over 11.5 (-125)
- Under 11.5 (-105)
This one is tough since Elliott is Under and Truex is Over. When you look at the other drivers that should be in the Top 5 and Top 10, more of them are Over 11.5 like: Blaney (12), Bowyer (14), Busch (18) and Bowman (88). Take the Over!
Car Number of Race Winner –Over 11.5 (-125)
Manufacturer of Race Winner
- Ford (+165)
- Chevrolet (+165)
- Toyota (+200)
My Top 3 drivers all drive for one of these manufacturers. Elliott drives a Chevy, Truex drives a Toyota, and Blaney drives a Ford.
Since Elliott is the overall favorite, and his teammate Alex Bowman is a strong contender as well, I’m taking Chevy for this proposition bet.
Manufacturer of Race Winner –Chevrolet (+165)
Team of Race Winner
- Hendrick Motor Sports (+185)
- Joe Gibbs Racing (+225)
- Team Penske (+450)
- Stewart-Haas Racing (+450)
- Any Other Team (+2300)
- Chip Ganassi Racing (+1600)
- Richard Childress racing (+4000)
- Roush Fenway Racing (+5000)
- JTG Daughtery Racing (+12500)
Like the prop bet above, it makes the most sense to go with Hendrick Motor Sports as Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have raced well at this track in the two years that this event has been a part of NASCAR.
Team Penkse offers value, but Blaney will most likely finish behind Truex and Elliott. Joe Gibbs Racing could be a nice payout as well with Truex, Hamlin and Kyle Busch as the top candidates. But, I still think Hendrick is the safe play.
Team of Race Winner –Hendrick Motor Sports (+185)
Bank of America ROVAL 400 Betting Recap
Betting Value
- Brad Keselowski (+1400)
- Clint Bowyer (+1400)
- Kyle Busch (+1600)
- Alex Bowman (+1800)
Longshot
- Matt DiBenedetto (+5000)
Winner
- Martin Truex Jr. (+600)
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
