Enjoy Illinois 300: Gateway Picks, Betting Odds & Race Preview

Denny Hamlin is in solid form heading into the Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway, and he's one of the post-qualifying favorites for the 15th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. Read on as our NASCAR betting picks break down the odds and more.

Chris Vasile - Publishing Editor at Covers.com
Chris Vasile • Publishing Editor
Jun 2, 2024 • 08:03 ET • 4 min read
Denny Hamlin NASCAR Cup Series
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of its newest and trickiest venues this Sunday for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Formerly known as Gateway Motorsports Park, the 1.25-mile oval shares characteristics with New Hampshire, Phoenix, and Darlington, making this a unique challenge for the drivers as well as those attempting to make betting picks.

We've got you covered with odds and analysis for the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday, June 2.

Odds to win 2024 Enjoy Illinois 300

Driver DraftKings BetMGM Caesars
Denny Hamlin +380 +425 +400
Ryan Blaney +450 +325 +500
Joey Logano +700 +825 +750
Christopher Bell +850 +825 +750
Martin Truex Jr. +1,000 +1,100 +1,000
Kyle Larson +1,100 +1,400 +1,500
Tyler Reddick +1,200 +1,100 +850
Ty Gibbs +1,200 +625 +800
Brad Keselowski +1,300 +1,300 +1,200
William Byron +1,300 +1,200 +1,400
Michael McDowell +1,300 +1,400 +1,500
Kyle Busch +1,300 +1,600 +1,200
Austin Cindric +2,800 +2,000 +2,500
Chase Elliott +3,000 +4,500 +4,000
Bubba Wallace +4,000 +3,000 +3,500
Alex Bowman +4,000 +6,000 +3,500
Ross Chastain +4,000 +3,000 +3,000
Chris Buescher +4,000 +2,500 +3,500
Josh Berry +10,000 +12,500 +10,000
Noah Gragson +15,000 +12,500 +20,000

Odds as of 6-2-2024.

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Enjoy Illinois 300 field

A relatively wide-open odds board reflects a low level of confidence from both oddsmakers and bettors on any particular driver. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson occupy the Top 2 spots on the board, as they have for most races in 2024, but William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr. are all hot on their heels. 

DraftKings lists 14 drivers at +2,000 or below prior to qualifying, which is set for 10:45 a.m. ET on Saturday. The green flag will wave for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Enjoy Illinois 300 expert picks and predictions

Odds listed below courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook, 5-30-2024.

Enjoy Illinois 300 pre-qualifying favorites

Denny Hamlin (+600)

He may have finished 34th in 2022, but Denny Hamlin qualified sixth and was taken out early by Ross Chastain. Hamlin was runner-up last year but only 11th at Phoenix this past March. 

Ryan Blaney (+850)

Ryan Blaney led 12 laps in a fourth-place run in 2022 and 83 more in a sixth-place effort a year ago. He’s finished second in both opening stages and 10th and first, respectively, in the second stages. Last year’s champion also finished fifth at Phoenix this past March. 

Christopher Bell (+1,000)

While he’s not led a lap in either of the two races and has no Top-5 finishes, Christopher Bell did come home ninth and 11th. respectively. and won a race at Phoenix this March. He enters with momentum back on his side following a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 victory last Sunday. 

Enjoy Illinois 300 sleepers

Brad Keselowski (+1,200)

This race package has suited Brad Keselowski this season. He won Darlington and was runner-up at Charlotte. 

Joey Logano (+900)

Joey Logano was the inaugural race winner and finished third last year.

Kyle Busch (+1,100)

Kyle Busch led a race-high 66 laps in a runner-up effort in 2022. Last season, Busch led 121 laps from the pole en route to victory.

Chris Buescher (+1,500)

Chris Buescher posted a second-place finish earlier this season in Phoenix and was 12th here last year. 

Enjoy Illinois 300 fades

Kyle Larson (+550)

Kyle Larson was the top Hendrick finisher here in both 2022 (12th) and 2023 (fourth). He was only 14th at Phoenix back in March. 

William Byron (+900)

William Byron finished 19th in 2022 and eighth last year after leading 30 laps. He finished seventh and fourth, respectively, in the pair of stages. 

Chase Elliott (+1,400)

Chase Elliott finished 21st a year ago and only 19th at Phoenix this season. 

Enjoy Illinois 300 prop pick: Martin Truex Jr. Top 5 Finish

Martin Truex Jr. (+900 to win outright) led 42 laps in a sixth-place finish in 2022. Truex also finished fifth despite not leading any laps last June. He finished seventh at Phoenix in March.

Pick: Martin Truex Jr. Top 5 Finish (+130 at Sportsbook)

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WWT Raceway track analysis

The closest resemblances to this track are Phoenix, Darlington and New Hampshire. While Ford has struggled the last couple of seasons, these are their best statistical tracks producing the most success. 

We’ve not raced at New Hampshire this season but we did already in Phoenix and Darlington. 

One thing to note though is the fact that you don’t see many fluke names win on this track. In the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Josef Newgarden, a two-time series champion, has won on this track four times (2017, 2020, 2021, 2022). Scott Dixon (2020, 2023) is the only driver other than Newgarden to win over this course since 2020.

In the Cup Series, there’s only two winners... Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, the only active multi-time champions in the sport.

  • Not much history here to base many trends off of, but trends say you want to start out front with Logano winning from seventh and Busch from the pole.

  • WTT Raceway is classified as an intermediate track, and Larson has won 10 of the last 34 races held at such tracks.

Previous Enjoy Illinois 300 winners

This is only the third year that the NASCAR Cup Series has visited World Wide Technology Raceway. Kyle Busch led the most laps in both prior races, picking up the win in 2023. Both of the previous Enjoy Illinois 300s had an overtime finish.

Year Winner
2023 Kyle Busch
2022 Joey Logano

How to make Enjoy Illinois 300 picks

NASCAR betting is a nuanced process that can take any number of factors into account, and spans several different types of bets. Fortunately, our How to Bet NASCAR guide walks you through the basics, including how to read odds, different markets that are available, and what to consider when making your bets. 

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Chris Vasile Covers.com
Publishing Editor

Chris Vasile has been in the betting industry for well over a decade honing his craft as a writer, editor and handicapper. A journalism graduate from Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, Chris has contributed betting and non-betting content for online publications such as ProSportsDaily and The Hockey Writers, in addition to Covers. With a keen interest in soccer, Chris has been featured on Covers' 'Before You Bet' and runs his own YouTube channel — Game Day Wagers.

When it comes to daily sports betting, his sportsbook of choice is bet365 for the plethora of markets and great UX. Chris' top sports betting advice is to stick to what you know. Being a jack of all trades and master of none is a quick way to bust the bankroll. Find one or two sports you can devote your time to and trust the process.

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