NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen Predictions & Picks: Will SVG Reclaim His Road Course Crown?

Shane van Gisbergen has established himself as the undisputed king of the road in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he played second fiddle to Tyler Reddick in this season's first road race. Today, SVG will look to provide a reminder of his prowess in the Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen.

In March, SVG and the rest of the field were no match for Reddick in the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix. Reddick led 58 of 95 laps at Circuit of the Americas and pulled away late to win by 3.944 seconds. SVG had to settle for second, which ended his five-race winning streak on road courses.

SVG is making small steps in the right direction on ovals, as he has finished in the top 20 on ovals six times already in 10 oval races this season after doing so only 10 times in 30 oval races last season.

But road courses are where he is at his best, and with only two more such opportunities this season (in back-to-back races in California next month), today's race will be key to his hopes of accruing enough points to land in a Chase for the Cup spot at the end of the regular season.

A victory for SVG would also be a lift for Trackhouse Racing amidst a disappointing start to the season. Through 11 races, SVG, Ross Chastain, and Connor Zilisch have combined for just four top-10 finishes. Also, all three currently sit outside the top 16, with Ross Chastain 18^th, SVG 19^th, and Connor Zilisch 33^rd.

2026 NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings (Through 11 Races)

Go Bowling at the Glen weekend certainly could not have started much better. SVG destroyed the field in qualifying, finishing 0.259 seconds ahead of Michael McDowell to claim pole. His effort led the way in a strong Saturday for the team. Chastain qualified fourth, while Zilisch qualified fifth, his first top-10 qualifying result of the season.

Thanks to those results, all three drivers are among the Go Bowling at the Glen favorites at Lucky Rebel and other top online sportsbooks. SVG leads the way, followed by Zilisch, who won yesterday's Xfinity Series race and finished second in Friday's Trucks race.

Go Bowling at the Glen Race Information

• Race: Go Bowling at the Glen (Race 12 of 36 of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season)
• Venue: Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, New York)
• Track Type and Length: 2.45-mile road course
• Race Length: 100 laps (245 miles)
• Polesitter: Shane van Gisbergen
• 2025 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen
• Time: 3 p.m. ET (3 p.m. local)
• TV: FS1

Go Bowling at the Glen Odds

Odds are from Lucky Rebel as of 5:50 a.m. ET Sunday, May 10, 2026.

Go Bowling at the Glen Starting Lineup

Go Bowling at the Glen Predictions and Picks

William Byron to Finish in the Top 10 (+100 at Lucky Rebel)

It has been a bit of a weird season for Byron. He finished eighth last week in last week's race at Texas Motor Speedway, his sixth top-10 finish in his last eight races.

However, he isn't challenging for wins, and qualifying results have been substandard. Last year, he qualified in the front four rows 21 times in 36 races (58.3%). Through the first 11 races this year, he has qualified in the front four rows just twice.

Byron had another so-so showing in qualifying for the Go Bowling at the Glen, as he will start 13^th. But I like his chances to have a solid result. Byron won this race in 2023, and in seven Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen, he has four top-10 finishes. Notably, three of those top 10s came with him starting outside the front four rows.

Also, only three drivers (Chase Elliott with nine in 17 starts, Christopher Bell with eight in 18 starts, and SVG with eight in 13 starts) have more road/street course top fives since 2023 than Byron's seven in 18 starts. At evens, this play represents excellent value.

Christopher Bell to Finish in the Top Five (+175 at Lucky Rebel)

It has been an even weirder season for Bell than Byron. In his first five seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing, Bell had at least five top-10 finishes in his first 11 races. Through the first 11 races this season, he has only four, and only one has come in the last six races.

Also, in four of his first five seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing, Bell already had at least one win by this point. Last season, he had three. To date, his best finish this season is a runner-up result in the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway, the fourth race of the season.

But you have to feel like both Byron and Bell will soon enough find the form that has made them perennial Cup Series championship contenders, and like Byron, Bell should run well in the Go Bowling at the Glen.

Bell does not own a win at Watkins Glen, but he has been a top performer there. In five career Cup Series starts, he has two top-five finishes, four top 10s, and an average finish of 6.8. Among active Cup Series drivers with five or more Watkins Glen starts, the closest competition is A.J. Allmendinger with a 10.9 average finish in 14 starts.

Like Byron, Bell has not qualified well often this season. But he will start eighth today, and that augurs well for continuing his run of success at Watkins Glen.

Ryan Blaney to Finish in the Top 10 (-120 at Lucky Rebel)

Road and street courses are certainly not Blaney's specialty. Only one of his 18 career Cup Series wins has come on a road/street course (at the Charlotte roval in 2018, his second career win and his first with Team Penske). For his career, he has just five top-five finishes in 43 road/street starts.

But Blaney finished sixth in last year's Go Bowling at the Glen, and in the 14 previous times he has qualified in the top 10 in a road/street race, he has finished in the top 10 nine times. I like his chances of converting a solid qualifying run into another good road race result following his eighth-place finish at COTA in March.