The NASCAR Cup Series is back on the road. Watkins Glen has been a steady fixture on the NASCAR circuit for decades. Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling At The Glen at Watkins Glen.
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Race Winner — Go Bowling At The Glen
Shane van Gisbergen -165
Connor Zilisch isn’t the future. He’s the present. The 19-year-old has arrived. He had the second-best odds to win the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen (+500) in just his fourth Cup Series race. That’s not happening now.
Con-Zilla was rampaging through the Xfinity Series in his rookie season. It’s no surprise. The teenager has won everywhere. No matter the track or car, he wins. The kid has Xfinity, ARCA and CARS Pro Late Model wins. He’s won Mazda MX-5 races. In 2024, his team won two of the Triple Crown endurance races — the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring (IMSA). Zilisch has a Hall-of-Fame resume. The rampage reached a new level. After crushing the field in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, Zilisch crushed his collarbone. He fell off his car during the Victory Lane celebration.
Zilisch’s Trackhouse Racing teammate, SVG, was the favorite at +120 before Cup Series practice. His five best laps in the session ranked third compared to others. He complained of lacking rear grip, but he also did so after practice in Sonoma. The Kiwi smoked the field at Sonoma. He’s set to cook again. Van Gisbergen qualified on the front row, and his toughest competition will miss the race with a broken collarbone.
The odds don’t pay well, but they pay. SVG was the Best Bets pick to win at Mexico, Chicago and Sonoma. No one got rich, but no one went broke. If nothing breaks for SVG, then he breaks away.
Race Winner — Go Bowling At The Glen
William Byron +600
Does anyone have anything for SVG? Willy B has the CV. SVG has won the last three road races, but Byron won the first of the 2025 season at Circuit of The Americas. He’s running hot after winning at Iowa last week. The momentum kept rolling, as he was the fastest car in practice. The final touch on his curriculum vitae is that Byron broke through as an elite road course driver with a win at The Glen in 2023.
