2014 Boyd Gaming 300 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Dark Horses, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid

2014 Boyd Gaming 300 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Dark Horses, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid: The Nationwide Series season continues this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and with Saturday’s Boyd Gaming 300 being a companion event with the Cup Series, several big names are slated to be in the field. That being said, the Cup drivers pulling double duty this weekend have never won a Nationwide race at Vegas so while they are still the drivers to beat, series regulars have enjoyed some success at the 1.5-mile oval. With the possibility of an upset a little bit higher than it is most weeks in the Nationwide Series, here is a closer look at the top betting options.

The Favorites

Shockingly, Kyle Busch has never won a Nationwide race at his home-state track. That being said, he has finished second at Las Vegas on two separate occasions, including last season. More importantly, Busch has amassed a Nationwide series-record 64 wins in his career so he is a threat to win whenever he gets behind the wheel.

He has been boom or bust at Las Vegas, and in eight Nationwide starts at the track, Matt Kenseth has three finishes of sixth or better and five finishes of 30-th or better. Despite the inconsistent results, it is tough to ignore a guy that has won three races at Vegas at the Cup level.

Las Vegas hasn’t always been kind to Brad Keselowski, and in seven Nationwide starts at the track, he has five finishes outside the top 20 to go along with a pair of top-four finishes. Despite the up-and-down record at Vegas, writing off Keselowski would be a huge mistake. After all, he has won three of his last four Nationwide starts at 1.5-mile tracks.

The Dark Horses

Of all the series regulars, Trevor Bayne has easily been the most consistent at Las Vegas. His 4.8 average finish at the track is actually the best of any driver in the field this weekend, and in four starts, he has never finished worse than sixth. Meanwhile, Bayne has finished fourth in his last two starts at Vegas so he should be right in the mix for a win this weekend.

Elliott Sadler’s starts at Las Vegas have been spread out over 15 years, but he has always managed to run well. He has an 8.2 average finish in five starts at the track, and he has never finished outside the top 15. More importantly, he has finished in the top five in two of his last three starts at Vegas.

Sleeper Special

Inexperience is the biggest obstacle facing rookie Ty Dillon, but he will actually be making his second start at Las Vegas in the Nationwide Series this weekend. He finished 11th in his track debut last year, and this weekend, he will be driving for a No. 3 team that finished seventh and sixth in the last two races at Vegas with Ty’s older brother Austin behind the wheel.

Big Name to Avoid

While he is technically a Cup driver pulling double duty, David Ragan doesn’t exactly have the clout of some of the other Cup drivers. In addition to his lackluster Cup career, Ragan has a mediocre 20.0 average finish in three starts at the track. He will also be driving for a smaller Nationwide team while his Cup counterparts will be driving for powerhouse teams. Ragan may have a recognizable name, but don’t expect big results from him this weekend.

Check the latest NASCAR Vegas Odds and Betting Lines from BOVADA below: