Every NASCAR stop comes with its own identity, and World Wide Technology Raceway is no different — a tricky 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis that forces drivers to fuse short-track aggression with intermediate-race patience.
The 2025 Enjoy Illinois 300 fires off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on the USA Network. What makes this track dangerous is its personality split: Turns 1 and 2 drive like a flat Martinsville corner, while Turns 3 and 4 carry the momentum of a bigger speedway. That blend exposes setups, driver adaptability, and nerves in late-race restarts when clean air suddenly turns to chaos.
For this week’s NASCAR race picks, we’ll lock onto veterans and technical aces who thrive in mixed-bag conditions. Our free betting picks are built around measured aggression, efficient track-position gains, and proven success on flat ovals.
NASCAR prop picks for Enjoy Illinois 300
- Top 3 Finish: Christopher Bell (+140)
- Top 5 Finish: Joey Logano (+160)
- Top 5 Finish: Kyle Larson (+150)
NASCAR Enjoy Illinois 300 props and best bets
Top 3 Finish: Christopher Bell (+140 at bet365)
Christopher Bell is the data darling heading into the second race of the NASCAR Playoffs, and for good reason.
- 🏁 Flat-track wizard — Bell ranks No. 1 in average finish across New Hampshire, Phoenix, Richmond, and Gateway since 2023 (7.8).
- 📊 Pole hunter — He’s qualified on the front row in four of the last six flat-track races, amplifying his clean-air advantage.
- 🔥 Late grind — Over his last 10 races on sub-1.5 mile tracks, Bell has improved his position in the final 20 laps in seven of them, a clutch closer stat.
- 💡 Repeat threat — Bell was a runner-up at Gateway last year.
If practice speeds hold and Bell isn’t mired in dirty air, this number might drop to the +100 range before the green flag. I like this play a lot.
Top 5 Finish: Joey Logano (+160 at bet365)
Sometimes a track just fits a driver’s DNA — and Gateway screams Joey Logano.
- 🏁 Previous winner here (2022) — Few driver résumés shine brighter at World Wide Technology Raceway.
- 📊 Track-position assassin — In both of his Gateway wins, Logano averaged a +2.6 gain in the final 30 laps, executing surgical late restarts.
- ⚡️ Short-track muscle — Among current drivers, Logano maintains the second-best average running position (8.4) on tracks under 1.5 miles since 2022.
- 🎯 Playoff spoiler vibes — Even in “off years,” Logano tends to overperform at his pet tracks, and Gateway has been exactly that.
At +160, a Logano Top 5 feels like the gift prop on the board. He should be closer to -120 in my books. The reason his price might be so high is because of the wrecking he has been experiencing over the last few weeks.
Top 5 Finish: Kyle Larson (+150 at bet365)
Despite what the haters might say, Kyle Larson remains matchup-proof, and Gateway isn’t immune to his talent advantage.
- 🏁 Consistency machine — Seven Top 10 finishes in his last eight short/flat races, including a Gateway podium in 2024.
- ⚙️ Restart mastery — Larson gains an average of 3.2 positions on restarts within 15 laps of the finish — tops among the field at intermediate-short tracks.
- 🧠 Adaptability edge — Larson’s driver rating at Gateway has improved every year he’s been here, pointing to strong learning curve progression.
- 💥 Upside factor — With his Hendrick cars typically setting race pace, Larson just needs a caution break late to vault into the Top 3.
Books are shading Larson conservatively here. If he rolls off the front row, don’t be surprised if this number drops closer to even money.
💡 Why these free betting picks stick
- Christopher Bell thrives on flat ovals, and no driver in this generation combines qualifying firepower with late-race composure quite like him. His Gateway-specific stats scream value.
- Joey Logano is the man to beat here based on track history — and sports bettors know that history repeats itself when a driver has figured out the geometry of a track, while others still struggle.
- Kyle Larson brings elite adaptability and restart edge, converting late-race chaos into podium finishes more efficiently than almost anyone.
Together, this trio represents experience, versatility, and raw execution at a track that punishes mistakes. For Sunday’s NASCAR race picks, these are the drivers who not only survive Gateway, but bend it to their will.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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