Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR at Nashville Superspeedway

NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell.

To begin the second half of their season, NASCAR Cup Series drivers will race Sunday in the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee.

In last season's race, Ross Chastain earned his first win of 2023 as he held off Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

Here are three drivers to watch — a favorite, a contender and a dark horse — as well as one to avoid for the Cup Series' fourth race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

Favorite: Christopher Bell (+750, per DraftKings as of Friday afternoon)

Bell must be the favorite just about anywhere given how hot he is. He has won two of the past five races and almost had a third win at Gateway, so there's no reason to think he won't have contending speed at the Nashville Superspeedway, where he has finished in the top 10 in each of his three starts.

Bell is listed as tied for the third-best odds, but it feels like he has a better shot than that. +750 is a bargain here, so grab him while he's hot.

Contender: Chase Elliott (+800)

Elliott's 2024 season has mostly been one of robotic consistency without contending for a whole lot of wins, but in the past few weeks, he's had a lot more speed. Now, he'll race at a track that's among his best since its addition to the schedule in 2021.

In 2022, Elliott won at the Nashville Superspeedway. In 2023, he finished fourth in one of his best showings of his disastrous season, so expect him to be near the front again Sunday. His odds are enticing at only sixth highest.

Dark horse: Josh Berry (+4500)

It's unclear how much of Berry's recent speed will carry over to Nashville given that his past two runs — seventh at Iowa, third in New Hampshire — came on shorter, flatter tracks that are his specialty.

However, it seems as if Berry and his No. 4 team have figured something out and are continually improving, so if you're looking for a true long shot, he may be one to keep an eye on.

Avoid: Ross Chastain (+750)

In 2023, Chastain won at the Nashville Superspeedway, the home track of his Trackhouse Racing team. However, Trackhouse's speed is simply too unreliable to justify these odds for Chastain, who hasn't really shown winning speed in 2024 outside of one or two occasions.

Chastain will likely run inside the top 10, perhaps even the top five, but until Trackhouse can consistently show a return to its 2022 and 2023 form, he's too risky at that price.

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