NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series head to the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International road course for the running of the Go Bowling at The Glen (2 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Here is what you need to know ahead of the 24th race of the Cup Series season.

Favorite: Shane van Gisbergen (+120, per DraftKings)

The New Zealander has won the last three road/street races at Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma from the pole, so it should come as no surprise to find him at the top of the odds board.

He comes into the weekend with a chip on his shoulder after getting passed for the win on the final lap by Chris Buescher in the 2024 race at Watkins Glen. Given his road-racing background and his dominance on these layouts this season, the path to Victory Lane goes through van Gisbergen on Sunday.

Underdog: Ryan Preece (+4500, per DraftKings)

Preece may not be the first driver who comes to mind on road courses, but he has been consistent all season long. Preece was in contention in Mexico City before fading to 15th and finished seventh at Chicago and 12th at Sonoma.

He was ninth at Watkins Glen last season and enters the weekend with back-to-back top-fives at Indianapolis (fourth) and Iowa (fifth). Don't be surprised to see Preece toward the front again on Sunday as he looks to stay in the playoff race.

Can anyone stop van Gisbergen?

It is no secret that van Gisbergen is in a league of his own on road courses. With that said, Christopher Bell was victorious at Circuit of The Americas earlier this season and is one of several drivers who can halt his momentum.

Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson each own a pair of wins at Watkins Glen, road-course aces AJ Allmendinger and Michael McDowell can never be counted out and 19-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch recently defeated van Gisbergen in the Xfinity race at Sonoma on July 12. Van Gisbergen is the clear favorite, but that does not always guarantee anything in a sport as competitive as NASCAR.

Playoff picture coming into focus with three races left

Only Watkins Glen, Richmond (Aug. 16) and Daytona (Aug. 23) remain to determine the 16-driver playoff field. Three spots are still up for grabs on points with Tyler Reddick (+122), Alex Bowman (+63) and Buescher (+23) currently locking down those positions.

With a tight battle for the last spot on points between RFK Racing teammates Buescher and Preece and past champions Kyle Busch (-73) and Brad Keselowski (-121) facing must-win territory, be prepared for an exciting three weeks.

Will Watkins Glen deliver another classic finish?

There have been several thrilling finishes at Watkins Glen throughout its history. While Buescher's last-lap heroics last season were the latest on that list, that was certainly not the only time fans have been treated to an entertaining conclusion.

The one most fans will recall is the epic 2012 last-lap battle between Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose, with Ambrose prevailing after the two made contact multiple times and slid off course during an edge-of-your-seat final lap. With so much at stake and the playoffs on the horizon, could history repeat itself again?