The Money Stop: Betting Guide for the South Point 400 in Las Vegas

By Cole Cusumano, Staff Writer

Betting is almost always better when Las Vegas is in play, but especially when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Sin City for the playoffs. Whether you’re placing prop bets through trusted sportsbooks or participating in GridRival’s many unique daily fantasy contests, the Money Stop podcast will let bettors learn how to hit the jackpot in the opening game of the Round of 16.

For those who don’t know, the “Money Stop” – usually the final pit stop of the race – is considered the most important stop of the day. It’s not often that a team wins the race without meeting the money freeze. The Money Stop Podcast is a NASCAR gambling show hosted by industry journalist Cole Cusumano and his brother, the voice of New York Yankees Somerset Patriots doubles partner Steven.

The Cusumano brothers introduced “The Money Stop” podcast in 2021, coining the slogan “The most important NASCAR betting stop of the day,” because bettors can’t cash out their money without watching their show, which includes Kickin’ the Tires and GridRival presents is streamed weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Before venturing into Las Vegas, it is important to provide evidence of a tremendous success rate. In the last two races at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the Charlotte (NC) ROVAL, the Cusumano brothers highlighted seven top-10 finishes in each race, including four top-5 finishes. For the Bank of America ROVAL 400, they suggested 17 prop bets, 11 of which hit once the checkered flag waved.

Now that you understand what The Money Stop podcast is, in addition to the proven results, here are the five shortest odds to win the South Point 400 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway as of the start of the Lines on October 15, per BetMGM:

• Kyle Larson +325
• William Byron +700
• Tyler Reddick +800
• Christopher Bell +800
• Denny Hamlin +800

Favorites

Rightly so, Kyle Larson is considered a big favorite to win in Las Vegas for many reasons. One contributing factor is that the 2021 champions will pick up their sixth win of the season in the series and their second in the postseason. The other obvious detail is that he confidently took the checkered flag in the last race at the 1.5-mile track in March after leading 181 laps.

In the next-gen era, you could argue that no one is better in Las Vegas than Larson. He has won in five starts and finished second twice, leading most laps. He achieved a career top-10 rate of 75%, finishing in the top five in half of his 16 starts, in addition to a series average of 9.3 and a margin of over 620 in most rounds.

With his Vegas numbers in mind, Larson has also established himself as one of the best drivers on traditional 1.5-mile tracks in the seventh-generation car. This season alone he has won by 321 laps. Since its introduction in 2022, it has four wins and four runner-up finishes, each by over 1,200 laps.

To name another favorite and differentiate themselves from the Hendrick Motorsports squad – who should be viewed as the team to beat in Sin City, their strength and dominance cannot be overlooked Christopher Bell and the No. 20 team this postseason.

The 29-year-old looks to be anything but a lock in his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance, posting a series-best average finish of 6.3 in six playoff starts. Beyond the postseason, Bell has finished seventh or better seven times in his last eight races, with his weakest finish being a 14th-place finish on the day at the Watkins Glen (NY) International.

With his second runner-up finish of the season at the ROVAL and his three wins, Bell has already matched his career highs set two years earlier in 2024 with four races to go in wins, top-five finishes (12) and place one reached 10 seconds (20), taking it to a track where he finished second last fall.

Bell has achieved three top-10 finishes in Las Vegas in the next-gen era, including another top-five finish. Perhaps even more notable, he has a win at a 1.5-mile track this season – albeit shortened in Charlotte due to rain – as well as two other top-10 finishes, including a seventh place finish in the had the most laps lead in the last race at Kansas Speedway.

Honestly, from a statistical perspective, there are better drivers to bet on as favorites to win in Vegas, but it’s impossible to ignore the crisis that Joe Gibbs Racing’s talent is currently in. Find out who the other two are by listening to “The Money Stop.”

Sleepers & Spoilers

By thinking outside the box about which drivers can serve as sleepers or spoilsports to victory, bettors can really optimize their values ​​and get the most for their money. It’s also the section where The Money Stop has excelled every year, including this season.

In six playoff races, half of the winners were spoilers, and two of those drivers were highlighted by the Cusumano brothers on the show with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Talladega and the winner at Kansas, who was also expected to be a threat to the checkered flag on that one Upcoming 1.5 mile route: Ross Chastain.

Chastain surprised with his first win of the season in Kansas, and there’s good reason to believe he could come out on top again in Las Vegas. Trackhouse Racing’s ‘Disruptor’ joins Larson as the only other drivers to finish in the top five in all Next Gen starts at Sin City. The difference is that the No. 1 driver happens to have the best average finish in the series at 5.3, thanks to an exceptional 12th-place finish, in contrast to Larson’s only DNF.

The Melon Man also has the third most laps led in Vegas in the current car behind Larson and William Byron with over 150, including the last race in March. Chastain posted a career-best second place finish at the fall 2022 event. The weekend opens at +1800 for the win, which bettors may want to back in addition to his top-five finisher at +225 before the odds adjust following Saturday’s on-track activity.

Another sleeper, also from the Hendrick stable and bowtie brigade, will be a gut feeling Chase Elliott. The reason the 2020 champion enters as an intuitive choice is because his only top-10 finish in four Next Gen starts in Las Vegas doesn’t exactly scream, “Bet him to win.” The timeliness and the However, eye tests tell a different story.

Elliott finished fifth in the ROVAL, marking his fourth outstanding postseason appearance. This helped him post the third-best average finish in the series in the playoffs at 12.0, which is also right on par with his best average finish of the season in the series despite making 32 starts and finishing at 11.7.

Consistency aside, Elliott has quietly asserted himself as one of the best drivers of 2024 on traditional 1.5-mile courses. The No. 9 driver posted a top-10 finish in four of five starts, including a win at Texas Motor Speedway and a worst finish of 12th, giving him a best average finish of 6.4 in this particular configuration in the series.

Additionally, Elliott enjoyed success at Vegas shortly before the current car’s introduction in 2022, having led all 170 of his laps over the past five years, including a runner-up finish in the fall of 2021.

Despite being the most consistent driver in the sport, Elliott has been criticized for being quiet for most of the season. As he enters the Round of 8 in seventh place, nine points below the cutoff, he will need to make some noise in the semi-finals if he wants to challenge for his second championship. His race winner rating of +1400 and top five finisher rating of +190 are also very enticing.

For two more favorites and sleepers each, tune in to The Money Stop podcast later this week. This article will also be updated with daily fantasy value tips and specific prop bets to consider as contests become available on GridRival later in the week.

GridRival is a motorsports-specific gaming platform where people can compete and make predictions on everything from NASCAR to F1 and IndyCar through numerous unique methods not available on any other app. You can download the app here (and use code “KICKINTHETIRES” when signing up to receive a $100 deposit bonus.