NASCAR at Chicagoland: An Early Longshot Bet for Friday’s Camping World 225

I like betting on the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) because there are often early-week values to pounce on that setup the potential for really nice race-day betting cards. Last week we were able to snag Christian Eckes at 25-1 before the Kyle Busch Motorsports driver closed between 5-1 and 6-1 across the market. Eckes led the most laps (57) in the race before a last-lap spin resulted in a disappointing 14th-place finish.

While Eckes didn't cash the bet, locking down so much closing line value with that wager was not only a sign of value, but it also provided us with plenty of bankroll left to also grab Ross Chastain, the eventual race winner, at +770.

With the NGOTS heading to Chicagoland Speedway for Friday night's Camping World 225, oddsmakers are once again providing savvy bettors with an opportunity to lock in early value.

Here's the driver I'm betting right now and why I like this price so much.

Austin Hill (40-1) to Win Camping World 225

Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5-mile racetrack and Hill has been peaking at this track type as of late.

Over the last three races at 1.5-milers (Kansas, Charlotte and Texas), Hill has an average finish of 6.0 and was a legitimate contender at Texas, leading the second-most laps (34) while finishing with the third-most fast laps (12).

And not only has Hill been fast at 1.5-mile tracks this year, but his team, Hattori Racing, has had plenty of success at Chicagoland Speedway over the past two seasons.

In 2017, Hattori driver Ryan Truex won the pole and lead the second-most laps (29) before finishing third.

Last season, Brett Moffitt — the eventual NGOTS champion — took over for Truex at Hattori and saw similar success at Chicago. Moffitt qualified sixth and ripped off the second-most fast laps (28) before scoring a victory.

Hill has already been fast on this track type and will have the added advantage of Hattori's equipment and notebook for Chicago.

At 40-1, we're getting driver capable of contending for a win while also putting very little strain on our bankroll heading into Friday night's race.