NASCAR 2021 United Rentals 176 Betting Analysis & Prediction

If you don’t closely follow the other NASCAR races outside of the Cup Series, you may not be aware that this weekend at Watkins Glen marks the final race of the regular season in the Truck Series. Next weekend, it will be the top 10 drivers heading into the playoffs looking to win it all this season. To say that the United Rentals 176 is an important race is perhaps putting things a little mildly, as this is the final chance for those below the playoff line to make a move that gets them into the playoffs. We will go into more detail about the playoff setup and how things are going in the coming weeks, but for now, let’s take a look at the current top 4 drivers and their chances of winning this weekend so you can prepare yourself to bet once the NASCAR Truck Series odds are out.

NASCAR World Truck Series Betting Preview for the United Rentals 176 Race

John H. Nemechek

Nemechek has bounced in and out of the Truck Series in recent years, but choosing to race here the entire season has proven to be an inspired choice. He comes into the final week of the regular season with the lead atop the driver standings after picking up 5 wins on the season. No other driver is really close to that total, but we have all seen how regular season success can often mean little once the playoff races get underway. Consistency has been key for Nemechek this year, as he has only finished outside of the top 10 in 3 of the 14 races this season. His last run at Watkins Glen came a couple of years back in the Xfinity Series, where he finished 12^th.

Ben Rhodes

Rhodes will definitely be in the championship hunt once the playoff races begin next season, but you can bet that he would like to get another win under his belt before those races begin. You have to go all the way back to 2014 to find the last time he raced at Watkins Glen. He was in the K&N Pro Series at that time and ended up running 4^th, so he might be worth a look here. This season, he has managed a couple of wins, but those came in the opening 2 weeks of the season. Can he get back to that form as the season winds down?

Todd Gilliland

In any sport, you always want to keep an eye on a team or an athlete that gets hot as the playoffs approach. Gilliland made a rough start to opening 4 races of the season, other than a good finish at Daytona, but he has since settled into a groove that has seen him slowly but surely move up the driver standings. If you toss out the Darlington race, where he finished outside of the top 10, he has not been worse than 7^th in 9 of the last 10 races. He is one to keep an eye on heading into next weekend.

Austin Hill

He may have left it late, but Hill came away with his first win of the season last weekend to force himself into the top 4 in the driver standings. That has to serve as a huge confidence booster with the playoffs looming, but it is also a victory that we saw coming. Prior to that victory, Hill was on a run that had seen him land in the top 10 in 5 straight races. Can he go on from here and deliver something special in the coming weeks?

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?