Kansas Lottery 200: Zane Smith Is Comfortable in Playoff Position But Could Use Kansas Win

• Zane Smith is in a comfortable Playoff position but could use a victory at Kansas.
• Matt Crafton has a wealth of experience at Kansas, but lack of speed is an issue.
• John Hunter Nemechek needs a win in the elimination race to establish momentum.

Kansas Lottery 200 Betting Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Our Picks for the Kansas Lottery 200

Zane Smith to win the race at +450

Grant Enfinger to finish in the top three at +275

Corey Heim to beat Ryan Preece head-to-head at -105

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Zane Smith Is Comfortable in Playoff Position But Could Use Kansas Win

Zane Smith hasn’t won yet during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, but he’s in a comfortable position nevertheless.

During the regular season, Smith accumulated three victories, and he has added seven Stage wins to his totals this season.

Facing Friday night’s elimination race at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford is 46 points ahead of ninth-place Carson Hocevar and all but assured to advance to the Round of 8.

Given that expectation, Smith would like to accumulate additional Playoff points he can carry into the next round, and a victory—worth five points—is the best way to accomplish that.

We expect Smith to take the checkered flag on Friday night and advise a bet on him at +450 (DraftKings Sportsbook).

After all, Smith won the spring race at the 1.5-mile intermediate track.

Matt Crafton Needs More than Experience to Triumph at Kansas Speedway

Among the 10 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title contenders, Matt Crafton boasts a unique distinction—he’s the only driver to have competed in all 24 Truck Series races at Kansas Speedway, dating to 2001.

The 46-year-old Crafton also has three victories at the track, the most recent coming in 2020. Based on his history and experience, you might think Crafton would be a good choice in Friday night’s Kansas Lottery 200 at the long odds of +2500.

You’d be wrong. Crafton simply hasn’t had the speed to compete for wins this year. As of the last Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway in August, Crafton is on his third crew chief this season, still searching for ways to make the No. 88 Toyota go faster.

While Crafton’s odds are attractive, we don’t think he’ll win the race. Currently eighth in the standings by a three-point margin over Carson Hocevar, he’ll be more concerned with staving off elimination from the Playoffs.

John Hunter Nemechek Still Looking for Momentum for Playoff Run

The 2022 season has been a mystifying one for John Hunter Nemechek, who won the regular-season title last year and claimed five race victories.

This year, Nemechek won from the pole at Darlington on May 6 but hasn’t been back to Victory Lane since then. A combination of mechanical failures, bizarre accidents and simply trying too hard to overcome ill fortune has limited him to the one victory.

Though Nemechek would love to regain momentum as he makes a Playoff run, we need to see the driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota execute a complete race before we can back him—especially as second favorite at +550.

Instead, we prefer underrated Richmond winner Grant Enfinger to finish in the top three at +275.

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