NASCAR Predictions and Picks: Riding Chandler Smith, Corey Heim at WorldWide Express 250
NASCAR Predictions and Picks: Riding Chandler Smith, Corey Heim at WorldWide Express 250
WorldWide Express 250 Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date: Saturday, August 13
Time: 8:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: FS1
Click here for WorldWide Express Odds
WorldWide Express 250 Prediction
We've got a short slate of action this weekend that sports only two races. Fortunately for us the Nascar schedule proclaims that it is Richmond Raceway weekend, also known as "America's Premier Short Track." It is a 0.75 mile "D" shaped oval that's design invites contact and multiple groove racing. As a bettor, Richmond is one of my favorite race dates due to the mostly straightforward handicap.
Last year we saw the Kyle Busch Motorsport team emphatically dominate this Truck Series race, with John Hunter Nemechek winning after leading 114 of 250 laps. Teammates Kyle Busch and Chandler Smith finished second and fourth respectively while combining to lead an additional 50 laps. Can the KBM squad reproduce the result? Or will a different playoff contender punch their ticket to the next round?
Honestly, who knows? These truck series races have been a nightmare to predict with much accuracy. Race-winning trucks have made some head-scratching pit road calls over the past few weeks. Mid-tier truckers have found their way to the front due to chaotic accidents. While we think KBM may be the team to beat, we feel more comfortable playing them in the head-to-head markets rather than positional props. We are using Gateway, Richmond, and a sprinkle of Martinsville in our comparable track matrix.
WorldWide Express 250 Pick
- Chandler Smith to finish higher than Carson Hocevar (-129) (Bet $129 to win $100)
The last time we saw Chandler Smith, he was busy letting us down. That shouldn't be the case on Saturday night. Smith sports a 10.6 average finish with 13.2 average laps led and 9.4 fastest laps over the five races on our sheet. He's also been one of the Series most consistent performers, posting the second highest season-long green flag speed this season of the full-time drivers. He trails only his teammate, John Hunter Nemechek.
His matchup, Carson Hocevar, has shown a lot of promise in 2022. However, he's come up short numerous times while battling for the ever elusive first win. He also is still healing from injuries sustained in an accident earlier this year. While he has been performing admirably with the injury, it's worth noting that this guy isn't 100%.
Hocevar has flashed the 8th best green flag speed amongst the series regulars in 2022. On our comparable track matrix, Hocevar has a 16.6 average finishing position. His average laps led (1.8) and average fast lap (2.6) metrics rank well behind Chandler Smith in this matchup.
WorldWide Express 250 Pick
Corey Heim to finish higher than Ty Majeski (-130) (Bet $130 to win $100)
Corey Heim's only race in our comparable track matrix was his win at Gateway. Good start. He's also under the Kyle Busch Motorsports umbrella and will be piloting the truck that finished second last year. Although he hasn't driven a complete full-time schedule, Heim has the second-ranked overall green flag speed, sandwiched between teammates JHN and Chandler Smith.
Majeski has been a mainstay in the top-15 this season, finishing outside just 3 times. Unfortunately, we anticipate it will take much more than that to outduel Heim under the Richmond lights on Saturday night. Majeski checks into our matrix having led 0 laps while averaging just 4.3 fast laps in his three-race dataset. He also has an average finish of 25.3, which is obviously tainted by his 32nd place finish at Gateway.
These two wagers are representing our best chances for a 2-0 card on Saturday. We'll see you at the pay window!