One of the most historic races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is about to get underway this weekend. Motorsport fans first witnessed the iconic Cook Out Southern 500 in 1950. The race features a 1.33-mile oval located in Darlington, South Carolina, and features 25 degrees of banking in the first two turns, followed by 23 degrees of banking in the last two turns. The track promises an exciting start to the highly-anticipated Cup Series Playoffs.

With the favorites already lined up, Nitrobetting shares another angle that features the top 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 sleeper picks. Tune in to see which drivers can sneak their way into the front.

A Closer Look at the top 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 Sleeper Picks

The road to the Bill France Cup begins at @TooToughToTame. pic.twitter.com/7xzZimJgqQ

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 29, 2023

READ MORE: 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 NASCAR Odds & Prediction

A.J. Allmendinger

• 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 Odds: +3,900

A.J. Allmendinger races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, wearing Kaulig Racing’s colors. He is a dominant force in the Xfinity Series with 17 wins–15 of those achieved with Kaulig. His other two Xfinity Series wins were with Team Penske. The veteran driver previously worked with multiple Cup Series teams such as Team Penske, JTG Daugherty Racing, Red Bull Racing, and Richard Petty Motorsports.

Allmendinger also records positive results racing in the Cup Series. His first career win came at Watkins Glen International in 2014, which qualified him for his first playoff appearance. The California-born driver also picked up his second win and first for Kaulig Racing at the inaugural Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021. With a healthy portfolio like this, Allmendinger tops our sleeper picks list for the weekend. Furthermore, the Kaulig Racing driver ranks 21st in the 2023 Cup Series standings with 526 points, including five top-ten appearances, a pair of top-fives, and 17 laps led. He holds an average start of 20 and an average finish of 19.077.

Austin Cindric

• 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 Odds: +4,400

Cindric currently races for Team Penske in the No. 2 car in the NASCAR Cup Series. The man from North Carolina made the move to the top-rank NASCAR division in 2022. He delivered impressive results in his debut season with the organization, winning the Daytona 500, which also doubled as his first premier series victory. Before documenting seat time in the Cup Series, Cindric won the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series title. This was followed by a season with five wins, giving him a total of 13 career Xfinity wins.

His current performance in the Cup Series standings takes him up to 22nd place in the driver rankings. Cindric earned three top-ten finishes this season but is yet to find himself in fifth place or better. Nevertheless, we’ve seen the 24-year-old do well in qualifying with an average start of 16.808 despite his average finish falling to 21.115.

Aric Almirola

• 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 Odds: +5,900

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver returns to the grid for a sixth season and his 12th season in NASCAR’s top division. The Florida man is the winningest Cup Series driver on this list, with three victories under his belt. Moreover, he made the Playoffs five times (2014 and a stretch of appearances from 2018 to 2021). His most recent points-paying win happened at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and won the 2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 race at Daytona International Speedway.

As a seasoned veteran in the sport, the 39-year-old can still use his experience to slice through the pack. Almirola currently ranks 23rd in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series table with 447 points. He holds a top-five appearance to go with three top-ten finishes and 97 laps led. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver filed an average start of 18.231 and an average finish of 21.692.

Where to Bet on NASCAR with Crypto

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