Elimination Sunday at Charlotte’s 2.32-mile ROVAL. This track eats mistakes alive — heavy brake zones, awkward curbing, and those oval-style restarts punish even the smallest slip. It’s not a pure road course, not a true oval, and that’s why it decides playoff fates. SVG sits alone at the top, but the real money is made finding which playoff hunters and specialists can hang with him when the pressure peaks.

 

 

 

Bank of America ROVAL 400: The Favorite

Shane van Gisbergen (+115 BetRivers Sportsbook)

SVG is in a league of his own on road courses this year — four straight wins and nobody’s really touched him. But the ROVAL isn’t Sonoma or Watkins Glen. It’s got the high-banked oval entries, the treacherous front-stretch chicane, and a way of turning clean runs into chaos late. Even with those quirks, Trackhouse’s road package is bulletproof, and SVG’s precision under braking makes him the rightful one-man favorite tier.

 

 

 

Bank of America ROVAL 400: Mid-Tier Targets

Christopher Bell (+1000 FanDuel Sportsbook)

Bell is the only driver not named SVG to win a road race in 2025, and he’s already conquered this place in 2022 with a runner-up last year. His JGR Toyota consistently finds balance over long runs, and Bell’s knack for carving through traffic keeps him dangerous no matter where he qualifies. At 10-1, this is sharp value on a proven ROVAL closer.

A.J. Allmendinger (+1600 DraftKings Sportsbook)

Dinger and the ROVAL are inseparable. He won here in 2023, has never finished worse than 10th in the Next Gen era, and his Xfinity record (four wins, one runner-up) is absurd. He owns the front-stretch chicane, and in a race where track position rules, you want Dinger in your corner at this price.

Tyler Reddick (+1400 FanDuel Sportsbook)

Reddick’s road-race chops are no secret, and Charlotte has been kind — multiple top-10s with a best of P2. Sitting below the cut line, the 45 team can’t play safe, and that desperation fuels aggressive short-pit calls and risk tolerance late. His ceiling here is real, and +1400 is worth a stab.

 

 

 

Bank of America ROVAL 400 Longshots Worth a Look

Michael McDowell (+3300 FanDuel Sportsbook)

The quiet assassin of road courses. McDowell never overdrives the brake zones, and that discipline keeps him alive when others grenade their tires or overshoot corners. He’s turned these races into top-10s all year, and if strategy flips right, +3300 feels light.

Alex Bowman (+4500 FanDuel Sportsbook)

Bowman has five top-10s in six ROVAL starts, including a runner-up. Hendrick’s pit crews give him the margin he needs to survive late restarts, and his smooth style avoids self-inflicted mistakes through the infield. He’s mispriced this deep in the board.

 

 

 

Bank of America ROVAL 400: YOLO Dart of the Week

Austin Cindric (+6000 BetMGM Sportsbook)

Cindric was fourth here last year and dominated ROVALs in Xfinity. He’s got the pedigree, the Penske horsepower, and nothing to lose sitting on the playoff bubble. If this turns into a late-caution brawl, he’s exactly the kind of road ace who can steal one at 60-1.

 

 

 

Bank of America ROVAL 400 Props That Pop

A.J. Allmendinger Top-5 (+200 DraftKings Sportsbook)

The ROVAL is his best Cup track — 2023 winner, never outside the top-10 here with Kaulig. At +200, you’re getting a top-five probability far higher than implied.

Christopher Bell Top-3 (+275 DraftKings Sportsbook)

A ROVAL win in 2022, runner-up in 2024, and the COTA win this spring. +275 is too long for a driver with proven Charlotte upside.

Ty Gibbs Top-10 (+100 DraftKings Sportsbook)

Finished fourth here in 2023 and owns multiple road-course top-10s this season. Even money for a repeat of that floor is a no-brainer.

 

 

 

Bank of America ROVAL 400: Final Thoughts

SVG is the chalk and deserves it, but the smarter betting card leans heavier on Bell and Allmendinger as the value anchors. Bowman and McDowell offer long-shot leverage, and Cindric is the YOLO dart if this race turns into a late caution script. If Bell or Dinger qualify up front, cut back elsewhere and double down on their placement markets.

 

Â