I don't typically write raceday NASCAR Truck Series betting articles, but based on Saturday night's sports calendar it seemed like a good time to crank one out.
The NBA playoffs, which have been electric thus far, are off on Saturday, and while there are some huge NHL playoff Game 7s tonight, an 8 p.m. ET NASCAR Truck Series race may grab some extra primetime eyeballs, especially from bettors looking for a sweat.
In terms of transparency, I grabbed Tanner Gray 50-1 to win and 6-1 for a top-five finish ahead of Saturday's practice and qualifying sessions, so the bet below is in addition to those two wagers.
With that said, here is my favorite bet for Saturday's NASCAR Truck Series Heart of America 200 (8 p.m. ET, FS1) at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR Truck Series Pick for Kansas
*Odds as of Saturday afternoon
The ThorSport Racing drivers were not all that happy in practice and other than Ty Majeski, who qualified third, the rest of the team didn't show all that much speed during time trials — Matt Crafton will start 10th, Ben Rhodes in 15th and Christian Eckes in 16th.
I'm keying in on fading Crafton here by taking Riley Herbst at -105 in their head-to-head driver matchup.
As mentioned, ThorSport drivers didn't sound all too optimistic after practice, while Herbst is driving the No. 17 David Gilliland Racing truck that has been fast all season with a handful of different drivers.
To start, Herbst will start seventh on Saturday night, putting him slightly ahead of Crafton.
However, the key reason I like Herbst here is how that truck ran at Las Vegas, which is very similar to Kansas and used the same tire combination that teams will have tonight, earlier this season,
In that race the No. 17 truck, driven by Ryan Preece, finished fifth while posting the fifth-best average running position and the sixth-best driver rating.
Crafton, on the other hand, did finish eighth, but the No. 88 was not a top-10 truck, evidenced by the 15th-best average running position and 12th-best driver rating.
The edge here isn't huge by any means, but those looking for a little action on tonight's NASCAR Truck Series race at Kansas could do worse than backing Herbst as an underdog against Crafton in this matchup.
The bet: Herbst -105 over Crafton
