NASCAR Truck Series Craftsman 150 Predictions & Picks: Will Heim Outduel Hocevar to Take Trucks Title?
Written by: Eddie Griffin
Last Update: Fri Nov 03, 2023, 9:23 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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This weekend, the curtain will close on the 2023 seasons for NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series at Phoenix Raceway. First on the calendar is tonight's Truck Series Championship Race, the Craftsman 150 (10:00 pm ET, FS1).
After six races, Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes, and Grant Enfinger have put themselves in position for a championship.
Heim, this year's regular season champion, owns three race wins and has finished outside of the top ten only twice this season.
Hocevar, who will jump from the Truck Series to a Cup Series ride with the #42 Legacy Motor Club car next season, has won a series-leading four races this season, including the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to round out the Round of 8.
Rhodes won the Truck Series title in 2021, finished second behind Zane Smith last season, and is the only member of the Championship 4 to not have multiple wins this season ahead of the Craftsman 150.
Enfinger is in the Championship 4 for the second time in his Truck Series career, following a fourth-place finish in 2020. Like Heim, he has three wins this season, including a Round of 10 win at the Milwaukee Mile in August.
Which one of these drivers celebrate a championship later tonight? Championship winner odds are unavailable, but oddsmakers have Heim and Hocevar well out in front of Rhodes and Enfinger as Craftsman 150 race winner favorites.
Odds to Win the 2023 Craftsman 150 (NASCAR Truck Series Championship Race)
Courtesy of Bovada.
- Corey Heim +225
- Carson Hocevar +225
- Grant Enfinger +600
- Zane Smith +650
- Ben Rhodes +900
- Christian Eckes +900
- Ty Majeski +900
- Nick Sanchez +2800
- Jesse Love +3300
- Stewart Friesen +4000
- Jake Garcia +5000
- Taylor Gray +5000
- Matt Crafton +6600
- Rajah Carruth +6600
- Chase Purdy +8000
- Derek Kraus +8000
Craftsman 150 Predictions and Picks
It's not a given that one of these drivers will have to win to capture the championship. After all, the title was won in 2016 (Johnny Sauter), 2017 (Christopher Bell, who will be going for the NASCAR Cup Series title on Sunday), 2019 (Matt Crafton), and 2021 (Rhodes) while a non-Championship 4 driver won the race.
If things follow the same pattern that they have in other odd-numbered years, the championship winner will not have needed to win the Craftsman 150 to win the big trophy.
NASCAR Truck Series Season Finale Winners
- 2022: Zane Smith (won title)
- 2021: Chandler Smith
- 2020: Sheldon Creed (won title)
- 2019: Austin Hill
- 2018: Brett Moffitt (won title)
- 2017: Chase Briscoe
- 2016: William Byron
In fact, my money's on just that outcome. Instead, I am backing one of the drivers who missed the Championship 4 cut to end up in Victory Lane at the Craftsman 150.
At one point, it looked like Christian Eckes might be Heim's biggest challenger for the title. In the first four playoff races, Eckes finished second, third, first, and second.
In the fifth playoff race, at Talladega, he was the leader entering the final lap with the race in overtime. But not only was he unable to hold the lead, he ended up all the way back in 19th in a chaotic finish.
That last lap proved to be pivotal for Eckes, who finished only 20th in the Baptist Health 200. As a result, he was passed in the points standings by both Rhodes and Enfinger, who finished second and fourth, respectively, after Zane Smith, the initial runner-up, was disqualified following post-race inspections.
Given where he was, missing the Championship 4 has to be a pretty bitter pill for Eckes. But I think he will use that disappointment as fuel tonight and take the win. Along with backing him as the race winner, evens (at Bovada) for a top-five finish is a pick I'm all too happy to lock in with.
Bet on the Craftsman 150 and Other Weekend Events at Top Sportsbooks Like BetDSI
In the four seasons in which the championship winner did not win the season finale, a top-three finish was good enough to take home the trophy. Sauter and Rhodes finished third in their title-winning seasons, while Bell and Crafton finished second.
Unfortunately, there is zero value in backing either Heim (-225) or Hocevar (also -225) to finish in the top three in the Craftsman 150. But there is value in backing Rhodes for his third straight top-five finish at Phoenix.
Rhodes hasn't had the kind of success this season that his Championship 4 counterparts have, and entering the last two Round of 8 races, he had only four top-five finishes in 20 races this year.
But he was where he needed to be when it mattered at Talladega and Homestead, and I think he will be near the front in crunch time tonight. Like Eckes, he is evens to finish in the top five.
Recent NASCAR Truck Series Champions (2016-Present)
- 2022: Zane Smith
- 2021: Ben Rhodes
- 2020: Sheldon Creed
- 2019: Matt Crafton
- 2018: Brett Moffitt
- 2017: Christopher Bell
- 2016: Johnny Sauter
Ultimately, who do I think will win the title? Heim and Hocevar have been the best drivers in the series this season, and I don't see the title ending up in someone else's hands.
If I had to pick one of the two, I'd roll with Hocevar, given how little luck regular season champions have had. If you choose to, he is +110 to finish higher than Heim.
Where to Bet on NASCAR
Many of the top sports betting sites offer a variety of NASCAR betting odds. Throughout the season, you can bet on races like the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and others, like tonight's Craftsman 150 at Phoenix.
Along with being able to bet on the winner of each Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and/or Truck Series race, sportsbooks like Bovada offer finishing position odds (top 3, top 5, and/or top 10).
Also, odds on who will finish at the top of the championship standings are available at many reputable sportsbooks.
In addition to Bovada, here are some of the sites that we recommend if you are interested in NASCAR betting:
There are a number of reputable online sportsbooks that are good for betting on tennis, but we have reviewed all of the above books and highly recommend them all.
If you don't have an account at any of the sites mentioned, check out our reviews to learn more about what they have to offer.
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