Cup Series action is heating up, and we have your 2023 Ambetter Health 400 picks.
NASCAR hits the ATL this week!
The Ambetter Health 400 Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway is set for Sunday. We already know, thanks to last season, that Atlanta is a very different track than it was a few years ago after being reconfigured. The racing was radically different than in years past as it now races like a superspeedway.
2023 Ambetter Health 400 Picks & Preview
William Byron seems to like the new Atlanta setup, as he’s the defending race winner and he comes in at +1000. Chase Elliott then won the fall race at Atlanta but he’s still out with a leg injury. That makes Byron the only Cup Series driver in the field to have won on this new track.
Before we get into this week’s 2023 Ambetter Health 400 picks, let’s take a look at the favorites through +1200 to win the Ambetter Health 400 outright.
William Byron +1000
Kyle Larson +1000
Ryan Blaney +1200
Ross Chastain +1200
Kyle Busch +1200
Joey Logano +1200
Denny Hamlin +1200
2023 Ambetter Health 400 Info
Time: Sunday, March 19 – 3:00 PM Eastern
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway / Hampton, Georgia
Type: 1.54-mile banked Quad-Oval
Race Distance: 260 laps / 400 miles
Defending race winner: William Byron – Spring race
NASCAR 2023 Ambetter Health 400 Picks
Driver to Win – Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain comes in at +1200, among a group of five drivers at the same number on the odds list. Chastain is the main driver at Trackhouse Racing which run the Camaro Chevrolet, which has won the last three races at Atlanta.
Chastain finished this race in the 7th spot last season and followed that up with a 2nd place run at Atlanta in the fall Cup Series race. He led 42 laps during the Atlanta spring race and was out front for 32 laps in the fall. He is our top choice in our 2023 Ambetter Health 400 picks.
Manufacturer to Win – Chevrolet
It’s no secret to my family and friends that I’m a Blue Oval guy. But I’m rolling with Chevrolet this Sunday. Chevy has won the last three Cup Series races at Atlanta with Ford drivers grabbing the checkered in the five races prior. You have to go back to 2013 to find the last Toyota win. That was Kyle Busch who now drives a Chevrolet.
Secondly, this race has been shortened from a 500-mile event to a 400-mile race. We’ve already had two 400-mile races this season and both of those were won by Chevrolet drivers. Kyle Busch won the Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club and William Byron won the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Team to Win – Track House
I’m fading Hendrick Motorsports this week despite the fact that they’ve won like crazy this season. But, they’ve been hit with some penalties and suspensions following last week’s race.
William Byron, Kyle Busch, and William Bowman all drive for Hendrick so that opens the door for Trackhouse drivers to take some of the limelight. Ross Chastain is mentioned above, but Daniel Suarez (+2500) could also make a run as he’s had four top-ten finishes so far this season.
More Picks for the 2023 Ambetter Health 400
Best Bet Ford Driver – Ryan Blaney
My Ford driver this week is Ryan Blaney. He’s one of the drivers bunched together at +1200 and comes into the race weekend following a strong performance at Phoenix last week where he crossed the line in 2nd place.
Blaney has also done well at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he’s finished in the top five in four of the last five Atlanta Cup Series Races. He won at this track in the spring of 2021 but that was before the reconfiguration.
Best Bet Toyota Driver – Martin Truex Jr
Martin Truex Jr comes in at +2200, which makes him a nice option once you get past the clump of drivers stacked up at +1200. Truex has finished inside the top ten in nine of his last ten races at this track.
Last season he finished 8th in the spring and 11th in the fall. Before that – going back to 2014 – he finished 6th, 7th, 8th, 5th, 2nd, 3rd, 9th, and 3rd respectively. Our 2023 Ambetter Health 400 picks have him on our watch list.
Middle of the Pack Pick – Kevin Harvick +2500
I know I shouldn’t be choosing something that is potentially sentimental. But I think the numbers may back me up.
Kevin Harvick was 12th here in the fall of last year, and he ran well last week in Phoenix by almost winning but finishing with a 5th-place run. He has three Cup Series wins in the ATL and he has won 36 times in a Cup car on tracks of 1-2 miles.
Harvick has finished in the top-ten three out of four races this season. Lastly, this is the site of Harvick’s first Cup Series win after he took the ride over from the late Dale Earnhardt.
Long Shot Pick – Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Rickey Stenhouse Jr comes into Sunday’s race at +3300, which makes him a nice longshot pick this week. Stenhouse has already won this season as he’s the 2023 Daytona 500 winner. He finished 12th in Fontana and 19th last week at Phoenix.
His only run outside of 20th this year was a 24th-place run at Las Vegas. The big plus for Stenhouse is that all three of his Cup Series wins have come on Superspeedways. Atlanta now has a Superspeedway feel.
2023 Ambetter Health 400 Odds
* odds subject to change
William Byron +1000
Kyle Larson +1000
Ryan Blaney +1200
Ross Chastain +1200
Kyle Busch +1200
Joey Logano +1200
Denny Hamlin +1200
Christopher Bell +1400
Tyler Reddick +1800
Brad Keselowski +2000
Alex Bowman +2000
Martin Truex Jr +2200
Bubba Wallace +2200
Kevin Harvick +2500
Daniel Suarez +2500
Chris Buescher +2500
Aric Almirola +2800
Austin Cindric +2800
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +3300
Erik Jones +3300
Chase Briscoe +3300
Austin Dillon +4000
Ryan Preece +5000
Michael McDowell +5000
Justin Haley +5000
Josh Berry +5000
Corey Lajoie +5000
AJ Allmendinger +5000
Todd Gilliland +6600
Noah Gragson +6600
Ty Gibbs +6600
Harrison Burton +10000
Ty Dillon +25000
J.J. Yeley +50000
Cody Ware +50000
BJ McLeod +50000
