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Get your planners out, mark it on your iCalendars, or put a post-it on your fridge, because NASCAR’s Cup Series will be running on Saturday night, June 28, instead of its normal Sunday slot.

NASCAR decided to kick off its In-Season Challenge with a night race in Atlanta, now called EchoPark Speedway. This event marks the 18^th race of the season and the first of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge. We’ll dive more into that tournament in a separate article.

However, this is certainly going to spice up the mid-season and eventually, pay one driver a cool million dollars.

Last weekend, the Cup Series raced the Tricky Triangle of Pocono. And, for a second straight week, we saw another first-time winner. Like Shane van Gisbergen did at Mexico City two weeks ago, Chase Briscoe took his first checkered flag last Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

If you missed the Great American Getaway 400 last weekend, we’ve got a full breakdown of the NASCAR results for that race along with the Xfinity and Truck Series events at Pocono.

This weekend, the Fords sit on top of the NASCAR betting boards with Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Austin Cindric listed as the pre-race favorites. They’re followed closely by Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and William Byron.

With that said, let’s take a look at the latest NASCAR Atlanta odds, courtesy of the top sports betting sites, and make our Quaker State 400 predictions for this weekend’s Atlanta NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway.

Quaker State 400 Race Profile

Formerly called the Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), EchoPark Speedway has been part of NASCAR’s Cup Series circuit since 1960. From that inaugural year until 2010, the track held two races each season.

In 2021, NASCAR decided to give back a second race to Atlanta but have moved it around the calendar over the last few seasons. This second race also took the sponsorship of Quaker State 400.

EchoPark Speedway is a quad-oval speedway with turns that feature 28 degrees in banking, straights with 5 degrees in banking and a lap length of 1.54 miles. This current configuration was implemented in 2022. Prior to that, the banking and the width of the racing surface were less.

Sunday’s Quaker State 400 breaks down as follows:

• Total Miles: 400 miles
• Total Laps: 260 laps
• Stage 1: 60 laps
• Stage 2: 100 laps
• Final Stage: 100 laps

The Quaker State 400 can be seen live on TNT Sports beginning at 7pm ET on Saturday, June 28. This race will also be streamed on MAX.

Quaker State 400 Winners

As mentioned above, this race was not held from 2011 to 2020. However, if looking at its history dating back to the 60s, you see that Cale Yarborough has the most all-time wins in this event with six. Dale Earnhardt is second with five wins.

The following is a list of the most recent winners since this race returned to the Cup Series calendar (2021):

• 2024: Joey Logano
• 2023: William Byron
• 2022: Chase Elliott
• 2021: Kurt Busch

NASCAR Quaker State 400 Odds

Check out the latest Quaker State 400 odds:

Quaker State 400 Favorites

The following drivers are considered by oddsmakers to be the odds-on favorites to win the Quaker State 400:

Ryan Blaney +800 

• Driver Standings: 6
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 7
• Top 10: 8

Ryan Blaney enters this weekend’s event as the odds-on favorite to win, despite sitting 6^th in the standings well behind drivers like Byron, Larson, Hamlin and Bell.

In 14 starts at Atlanta, Blaney has one win, seven Top 5s, nine Top 10s, and leads the field with his 9.6 average finish. He’s posted six consecutive Top 9 finishes including three Top 5s in a row.

For the In-Season Challenge, Blaney will battle Carson Hocevar in the first round. I expect Blaney to not only finish higher than Hocevar and advance to the next round, but I also expect the #12 car to contend for a checkered flag on Saturday night.

Joey Logano +900 

• Driver Standings: 10
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 2
• Top 10: 4

Joey Logano is right behind his teammate Blaney in the betting odds, and tied with their other Team Penske driver Cindric. However, the reigning Cup Series champ sits 10^th in the standings, which is about halfway between his teammates.

Fortunately, for Team Penske, all three drivers have won races this season and are locked into the Playoffs.

In Atlanta, Logano has two wins, four Top 5s, eight Top 10s, and a 15.7 average finish in 23 starts. He’s won twice over the last five Atlanta races including this event last year. Logano has also led laps in five consecutive races.

With that said, Logano has finished 17^th or worse in three of his last six Atlanta appearances. So, I would pump the brakes on the #22 car going to victory lane this weekend.

As for his tournament challenge, I think Logano will safely finish higher than Alex Bowman this weekend and move on to the next round. However, I peg him as a Top 15 car with a Top 5 ceiling.

Austin Cindric +900          

• Driver Standings: 15
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 1
• Top 10: 4

In eight starts at Atlanta, Austin Cindric has two Top 5s, three Top 10s, and a 15.3 average finish which is the 4^th best among full-time Cup Series drivers.

He finished 28^th in Atlanta earlier this season, which snapped a five-race streak of 12^th or better and two consecutive Top 10 results. Over his last three starts in this particular Atlanta race, Cindric has an 8.3 average finish.

I think we could see Cindric flirt with a Top 5 result and definitely slide into the Top 10 by time it’s all said and done. As for his tourney matchup, Cindric is taking on Zane Smith who has a 22.3 average finish in Atlanta and has never cracked the Top 10.

Of all three Team Penske drivers, Cindric has the easiest matchup for the first round of the Challenge.

Kyle Busch +1200

• Driver Standings: 19
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 1
• Top 10: 5

Kyle Busch needs to step on the gas if he wants a real chance at making the Playoffs this year. Remember, he narrowly missed the postseason last year, and it’s shaping up for another heartbreak for Busch.

Fortunately, he’s run well at Atlanta in his Cup Series career with two wins, 10 Top 5s, 16 Top 10s and a 12.8 average finish which is the third best among the field.

Busch has five straight Top 10 finishes at this track including 7^th here in the spring. He also has a 6.0 average finish over the last two Quaker State 400 races.

I think Busch can sneak into the Top 10 this weekend as well. He’s matched up against Brad Keselowski in the opening round of the tourney. I’ll dive into that matchup below.

Brad Keselowski +1400   

• Driver Standings: 30
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 1
• Top 10: 3

Speaking of Brad Keselowski, he has two wins, five Top 5s, 11 Top 10s, and a 16.3 average finish in 21 Atlanta starts. Unfortunately, he has four finishes of 18^th or worse in the last six events at this track which includes three straight. And, he has two DNFs in his last three Atlanta starts, which includes this spring.

I have faded Keselowski all season long and I’m not going to stop now. He’s had the worst season of his Cup Series career so far, and I think that trend continues.

Avoid Keselowski’s betting odds for Atlanta this weekend, and take Busch to win their In-Season Challenge matchup.

William Byron +1400

• Driver Standings: 1
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 7
• Top 10: 10

Regardless if it’s a road course, street race, triangles or ovals, William Byron continues to sit at the top of the Driver Standings. He also remains one of only three drivers to not score a DNF on the season so far. And, Byron is a betting favorite every week.

 In 12 Atlanta starts, Byron has two wins, two Top 5s, four Top 10s, and a 17.8 average finish. He won this race in 2023, and finished 9^th here last year.

With that said, before you dump too many units on Byron to win this race, I caution you to pump those brakes. Byron also has four finishes of 17^th or worse over the last six races here, which includes two DNFs. Furthermore, he has three finishes of 27^th or worse over that span which includes the spring race this year.

I’m comfortable with a Byron Top 10 result, but I wouldn’t risk money on anything higher than that. He faces Ryan Preece in the opening round of the Challenge. Byron should easily advance to the next round as Preece has a 23.9 average finish and zero Top 10s in nine Atlanta appearances.

The Best Quaker State 400 Betting Value

The following drivers are my NASCAR picks for the best betting value in the Quaker State 400 based on their previous success at the EchoPark Speedway:

Kyle Larson +1600

• Driver Standings: 2
• Wins: 3
• Top 5: 9
• Top 10: 12

Anytime I can get Kyle Larson at odds this high, I’m taking them. I can also say the same thing about Hamlin and Bell below, as well.

With that said, Atlanta has been Larson’s worst track over his Cup Series career. In 15 starts, he has five DNFs. And, all five of those have come in the last seven Atlanta races. Now, Larson did finish 3^rd in the spring Atlanta race this year. So, maybe he broke the curse.

Larson also battles Tyler Reddick in the first round, which is the most exciting matchup of the tournament’s opening round.

Like Larson, Reddick has struggled at Atlanta with a 19.2 average finish in 10 starts. That’s one spot lower than the #5 car at 19.0.

The reality is that this matchup is a toss-up. However, it seems when money is on the line or the pressure intensifies, like in the Playoffs, Larson steps up.

So, I’m taking Larson to edge out Reddick by a few spots as both drivers flirt with finishes in the Top 15. Also, Larson’s value is with his Top 10 odds of -125 and not anything higher.

Chase Elliott +1600

• Driver Standings: 5
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 5
• Top 10: 9

Chase Elliott is quite possibly the most overlooked driver int eh Cup Series right now, especially this weekend. In 13 Atlanta starts, Elliott has one win, two Top 5s, eight Top 10s and a 12.2 average finish which is the second best among the field.

Elliott won this race in 2022, and has a 7.3 average finish in his last three Quaker State 400 appearances. He faces Austin Dillon in the opening round this weekend. Dillon has just one Top 10 and a 21.1 average finish in 17 starts at Atlanta.

I like for Elliott to beat out Dillon and also contend for a Top 5 finish on Saturday night. If things break his way late in the race, then the #9 car could be sitting in victory lane.

Christopher Bell +2000   

• Driver Standings: 4
• Wins: 3
• Top 5: 7
• Top 10: 11

It’s rather surprising that Christopher Bell comes into Atlanta with odds this high. Bell won the spring race in Atlanta this year and has two consecutive Top 4 finishes. He also has a 15.4 average finish which is the 5^th best among full-time Cup Series drivers.

In the opening round of the Challenge, Bell faces Rickey Stenhouse Jr. who has one Top 5, four Top 10s and a 17.9 average finish in 17 Atlanta starts. Two of those Top 10s came in the last three races at this track. He was 5^th in the spring Atlanta race.

This is going to be a sneaky-good battle in the Challenge’s opening round. With that said, Bell is flying under the radar and perfectly capable of winning Saturday night’s race. I believe he finishes inside the Top 10 and beats Stenhouse in the tourney.

Denny Hamlin +2000

• Driver Standings: 3
• Wins: 3
• Top 5: 8
• Top 10: 9

Denny Hamlin has been on a roll over the last few months. In Atlanta, he has one win, six Top 5s, 11 Top 10s, and a 16.9 average finish in 30 starts.

Hamlin was 6^th in the spring Atlanta race this year but has a 19.0 average finish in the last four Quaker State 400 races. He battles Ty Dillon in the opening round. Dillon has a 24.7 average finish and no Top 10s in 11 Atlanta starts.

While I believe Hamlin will beat Dillon, I don’t see the #11 car battling for the win. Instead, his value lies in his Top 10 odds of +120.

The Top Quaker State 400 Longshot

Alex Bowman (+2500) is my longshot of choice this weekend. Sure, there are other drivers with longer odds on the board, but he’s the lowest that I’m willing to go and still feel like there’s small chance of success.

Bowman was 5^th in this race last year, which is why I think he can surprise this weekend. He does have four Top 10s in 14 Atlanta starts. Two of his three Atlanta Top 5 finishes have come in this specific race, as well.

Bowman’s Top 10 odds of +140 are more realistic for a wage than for the #48 car to win the race. Additionally, I don’t see him winning his opening round matchup against Logano.

Quaker State 400 Predictions

Let’s go ahead and pencil in Blaney, Cindric, Elliott, Byron, and Logano or Bell as our Top 5 drivers for the weekend. All of these drivers have won at Atlanta in their Cup Series careers.

Logano and Cindric seem to be the outside drivers of this group as they haven’t run as well recently this season compared to the others. Although that doesn’t mean they won’t win Saturday night, it does mean their chances aren’t as good as the others. And, when picking a race winner, we need to go with the drivers that give us the best chance to win our bets.

Bell won this race in the spring, so I doubt he sweeps Atlanta this year. No driver has done that since 2007, when Jimmie Johnson performed the feat. Carl Edwards did it in 2005, as well.

Byron has too many hiccups over the last handful of Atlanta races to make me feel comfortable with betting on his race-winning odds. So, that leaves me with Elliott and Blaney.

Elliott has not won this season as of yet, while Blaney has. Furthermore, Blaney has momentum coming into this race both with past Atlanta success and over the last month of racing.

Elliott is definitely worthy of a flier if you want a bigger payout, but Blaney is the safe play here. He has four Top 3 finishes in the last seven Cup Series races including third last weekend at Pocono. He leads the field in average finish at Atlanta and has three consecutive Top 4 results.

Give me one unit on Blaney to win this Saturday night in Atlanta.

Bet: Ryan Blaney (+800)

NASCAR Quaker State 400 Prop Bets

Let’s take a look at some of the popular Quaker State 400 prop bets:

The Best Top 3 Bet for the Quaker State 400

Ryan Blaney (+250) is not only my race-winning bet, but I’m even more confident in the #12 car to finish in the Top 3 this weekend.

As mentioned, he has two Top 3 results in his last three Atlanta races. That third result was a 4^th this spring. He also has four Top 3 finishes in the last seven weeks of Cup Series action including last weekend.

There isn’t another driver that has a resume as good as Blaney does for Atlanta.

Bet: Ryan Blaney (+250)

The Best Top 5 Bet for the Quaker State 400

Chase Elliott (+275) not only is one of my contenders to win this weekend, but I love his Top 5 odds. Here’s a driver that has quietly build a solid season so far. In fact, he has two Top 5 finishes in a row: Mexico City and Pocono.

As for Atlanta, Elliott won this race in 2022, and has a 7.3 average finish over his last three Quaker State 400 races. That’s good enough for me to wager a small bet on the #9 car to finish in the Top 5.

Bet: Chase Elliott (+275)

The Best Top 10 Bet for the Quaker State 400

Christopher Bell (-125) is my Top 10 bet for the weekend. Sure, there are other options but his marriage of odds and value are the best in my opinion.

Bell won the Atlanta race in the spring, was 4^th in last year’s Quaker State 400, and has three Top 5s in the last five Atlanta races.

Bet: Christopher Bell (-125)

Winning Manufacturer

• Ford (+130)
• Chevrolet (+130)
• Toyota (+350)

Ford and Chevy are tied for this prop bet. So, it would be funny if Toyota won it this weekend like Bell did in the Spring. Yet, I don’t see that happening.

I give Ford the slight edge with Blaney, but I do like the possibilities of Elliott and Byron stealing the victory from Ford and bringing it home to Chevy.

Bet: Ford (+130)

Team of Race Winner

• Team Penske (+225)
• Hendrick Motorsports (+400)
• Joe Gibbs Racing (+600)
• RFK Racing (+750)
• Trackhouse Racing (+1100)
• 23XI Racing (+1100)
• Richard Childress Racing (+1200)
• Spire Motorsports (+1200)
• Front Row Motorsports (+1800)

I picked Ford and Blaney (Team Penske) for the prop bet above and to win the race. So, let’s hedge our bets with Hendrick Motorsports for this one just in case something crazy happens in the end of the race.

Elliott and Byron will lead the Hendrick charge, while Larson and Bowman are wild cards at best. Getting four strong drivers, with three in the Top 5 of the standings, is too hard to pass up at +400 odds.

Bet: Hendrick Motorsports (+400)

Winning Car Number

• Over 18.5 (-110)
• Under 18.5 (-110)

I really like the Under for this prop bet. The Under bit us in the rear bumper last weekend with Briscoe stealing the checkered flag from Hamlin or Blaney, which would’ve given us the win on this prop.

Nevertheless, there are too many high-quality drivers Under 19 for this race. Let’s just take a look at the Top 3 options for the Under:

• Austin Cindric (#2)
• Chase Elliott (#9)
• Ryan Blaney (#12)

Blaney and Elliott have won at this track. Additionally, Cindric and Blaney sit at the top of the betting boards as pre-race favorites. Blaney leads the field with a 9.6 average finish. Elliott has been as consistent as anyone this season. All three drivers sit in the Top 4 for average finish at Atlanta.

This doesn’t even include drivers like Larson, Hamlin, Busch, and Keselowski. The two latter drivers are in the Top 5 odds-on favorites list. While Larson and Hamlin are tied for the most wins in the Cup Series this season.

Bet: Under 18.5 (-110)