The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns this Saturday with the Pocono Mountains 225 race in Pennslyvania. This will be the first event of the weekend ahead of the Cup Series on Sunday to close out the festivities. Ty Gibbs, who has four wins to his name this season, is the favorite at +500 odds, followed by Cole Custer and Justin Allgaier at +600. The current leader in the standings, A.J. Allmendinger, is surprisingly at +1200 after a 20th place finishes in New Hampshire last weekend. Keep reading for the NASCAR Pocono Mountains 225 picks.
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NASCAR Pocono Mountains 225 Odds
 | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ty Gibbs | +500 |
| Cole Custer | +600 |
| Justin Allgaier | +600 |
| Josh Berry | +700 |
| Noah Gragson | +700 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +850 |
| Sam Mayer | +900 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | +1200 |
| Daniel Hemric | +1200 |
| Austin Hill | +1400 |
| Brandon Jones | +1600 |
| Sammy Smith | +1600 |
| Landon Cassill | +3500 |
| Riley Herbst | +4000 |
| Sheldon Creed | +4000 |
| Bret Moffitt | +10000 |
| Jeb Burton | +10000 |
Ty Gibbs
Gibbs didn't get off to the greatest start this season, but he's really coming into his own recently. The 19-year-old has finished outside of the top 20 in the last two races due to various issues, but Gibbs did win Road America a few weeks back. This will be just his second race at Pocono and he secured a second-place finish in the 2021 edition. He's also the only driver in the Xfinity Series with four victories this season. Gibbs is currently third in the standings and just 28 points behind Allmendinger for top spot. A victory here at Pocono could go a very long way for the youngster as he chases that elusive trophy.
Cole Custer
Custer will make his fourth start of 2022 in the Xfinity Series. He's mostly raced in the Cup Series but struggled, currently sitting in 26th place. In Xfinity, though, Custer won once and finished in third before a 25th place finishes at Road America due to an unfortunate crash late in the race. He typically races well at Pocono and has impressed in the Xfinity series, which can certainly boost his confidence for the Cup Series. He's finished in seventh place or better in three Xfinity races at Pocono as well. Perhaps he could be a solid bet in the NASCAR Pocono Mountains 225 picks.
AJ Allmendinger
As mentioned above, it's surprising to see Allmendinger as low as +1200. After all, he's got two wins and seven top 5 finishes this season, currently holding a slight lead over Justin Allgaier. Last weekend wasn't great for him at NHMS though finishing in 20th place because of a crash. Last year was his first time at Pocono, ending up in fifth when it was all said and done. His consistency recently hasn't been great, though. In the Xfinity Series, he's only finished within the top 5 in three of his last 11 races. Not ideal. Even more concerning, he led in Nashville and Atlanta for a decent period of time in both races but faltered towards the end and gave up his lead. Hopefully, that can change this time around. He could be a viable option in the best betting strategies.
Justin Allgaier
Allgaier is coming off a huge victory in New Hampshire, the third of the season for him. He beat 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne, in the process and now remains just 16 points behind Allmendinger for the top spot in the standings. Allgaier has certainly enjoyed a respectable season, securing eight top 5 finishes on top of his trio of wins. Even more impressive, all of these triumphs have come in the last eight races. Yes, the Chevrolet driver is on fire. Allgaier took the lead with 48 laps left at NHMS en route to the win. However, he doesn't race all that well at Pocono. In five career appearances, Allgaier's best finish was 16th place, and that was in 2014. Last year, he finished 25th. But, knowing the type of form he's in recently, anything is possible for Allgaier. He's got momentum on his side and the motivation to catch Allmendinger for the Xfinity Series lead.
Final Picks
For the winner, we're going to go with Cole Custer to win in the Pocono Mountains 225 picks. Historically, he's legit on this raceway and the success should continue this time around, helping him in the Cup Series as well. Also, we have to believe in Justin Allgaier again. He's the hottest driver in the Xfinity Series right now, which is why it's worth a bet at +130 on him to finish top 3 at Pocono.
Picks: Cole Custer to win (+600), Justin Allgaier to finish top 3 (+130)
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