UNOH 175 Race Picks
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Betting Preview
Date and Time: Saturday September 20th, 2014. 1:19PM Eastern
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
TV: FS1
By: NASCAR Wagers, NASCAR Handicapping Service
The Camping World Truck Series will kick start a double header Saturday with the running of the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 1:19pm (EST) and Truck Series drivers will battle it out for 175 laps. The Truck Series will be the first race Saturday afternoon as the Nationwide Series will close out the night with the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway. As we prepare for a big weekend, let’s get things started with a bang on Saturday. Check out our UNOH 175 race picks:
There are a few interesting aspects towards tomorrow’s race that stand out. Most notably, there are not any Sprint Cup Series drivers entered in tomorrow’s race which levels the playing field for Truck Series regulars. Additionally drivers and teams had the privilege of having 3 different practice sessions on Friday. Normally the Truck Series has just two practices on a normal racing weekend, but they were able to schedule 3 sessions this weekend, since the Nationwide Series is off in Kentucky, which gives us a pretty good indicator of what we can expect Saturday afternoon.
One of the noteworthy takeaways from Friday’s practices involved points leader Matt Crafton. Crafton currently holds a 5 point advantage over Johnny Sauter and Ryan Blaney has also closed the gap to just 16 points back in 3rd. Despite having two wins this season, Crafton has not had a victory since the early part of June. However, the #88 truck has run really well in recent weeks finishing in the top 6 in his last 4 starts which includes two runner-up finishes. Crafton was very strong in Friday’s practices finishing 2nd in practice 1 and topping the charts in practice 2.The #88 truck has not practiced well in recent weeks but has run strong. With the added practice strength on Friday, Crafton’s stock is on the rise. If you consider the #88 team’s momentum, this may be one of Crafton’s best chances to get back to victory lane.
Johnny Sauter and Ryan Blaney, the two guys chasing Crafton in the points battle, definitely do not want to see Crafton capture another victory. Blaney opened as the UNOH 175’s overall favorite at 4-1 odds. The youngster was really strong in all practices and actually finished 2nd in Happy Hour. Interestingly enough this Saturday’s race marks Blaney’s first start at Loudon in 46 Truck Series appearances. Sauter was not very impressive on Friday as the team struggled with the handling on the #98 truck. Sauter does have two top 5 finishes in his 3 Loudon starts but that team has some work to do in order to get that truck in winning contention.
Among drivers entered in tomorrow’s UNOH 175, there are not any former Loudon winners which is an anomaly in Truck Series competition. Obviously, you do not want to base race picks solely off of practices. Therefore, we wanted to mention a few guys that have a history of performing really well on flat/short tracks. Most notably Erik Jones, who will be driving the #51 truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports, has an excellent resume on similar tracks from his performances at Phoenix and Iowa. Jones was fastest in practice 1 and he was among the early favorites this week to win the UNOH 175. So far, Jones title of a “favorite” is well deserved.
Additionally, keep an eye on guys like Joey Coulter, Darrell Wallace Jr, and Cole Custer. Coulter was really fast on speed through all of Friday’s practices. ‘Bubba’ is having an exceptional season and cannot be forgotten. Meanwhile Cole Custer could be a really good dark horse pick at great odds. He is a former Loudon winner from the K&N Pro Series and he proved back at Iowa that he could mix it up with the leaders. Custer has finished in the top 10 in his last 4 starts and Loudon really fits his driving style.
UNOH 175 Race Picks
Cole Custer +1900 (1 unit): opening forums pick, 2nd in practice 1, fastest in final practice, great value
Erik Jones +600 (1.5 units): fastest in practice 1, posted best 10 lap average from Friday’s practices, great on these type of tracks
Matt Crafton +800 (1.5 units): very fast in all of Friday’s practices, starting to return to early season form with 2 runner-up finishes in last 4 starts
H2H Matchups
Qualifying is scheduled for 10:10am (EST) on Saturday. Please check back closer to race time for added plays once odds are reposted.
