Best NASCAR Bets and Predictions for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray

We've waited months for this.

It's the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray, the first exhibition of the 2025 Cup Series season. And it's at a venue that could produce chaos: a quarter-mile track that runs on the outside of an old football field.

It could get a little nutty.

Because it's such a short track -- and because it's The Clash -- there's a unique format for this week that will impact how we bet it. So let's dig into that first and then discuss where I'm seeing value in FanDuel Sportsbook's NASCAR betting odds.

Bowman Gray Track Details

While Bowman Gray is unique relative to other tracks on the schedule, there are two things worth noting here.

First, the profile of the track -- zero banking, 0.25 miles in length -- is nearly identical to what the Cup Series used for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum the past couple of years. Thus, I do think weighing in how a driver performed in Los Angeles is viable when trying to handicap this field.

Second, the Cup Series has run at Bowman Gray before. They ran 29 races here from 1958 to 1971. The only driver who was born the last time they ran here is Tim Brown, a Bowman Gray ringer who will run the race for Rick Ware Racing.

NASCAR Clash Format and Schedule

For this year's Clash, we'll see cars on track for the first time Saturday at 6 pm Eastern for practice. Typically, practice times have no bearing on the rest of the weekend, but they will this time.

Practice times will set the starting order for heat races that night. The fastest driver from practice will start on the pole for the first heat, with the second-fastest driver starting on the pole for the second race, and so on.

There will be four total heat races, which begin at 8:30 pm on Saturday night. Each heat will be 25 laps (with just green-flag laps counting). The top five finishers from each heat will automatically advance to the main event on Sunday.

With 39 drivers on the entry list, that means 19 will be left. Those 19 can still advance via the last-chance qualifier. That's a 75-lap race at 6 pm on Sunday where -- again -- only green-flag laps will count. The top two finishers there will advance to the main event.

The 23rd and final spot will be awarded to the highest-ranked driver in the 2024 point standings who hasn't yet advanced. This means the only person locked into the field of the main event is last year's champion, Joey Logano.

That main event will be 200 laps (with only green-flag laps counting) with a timed break after 100 laps. The race must end under green-flag conditions.

Whew. Got all that?

In previous years, the Clash has been tough to predict, both due to the format and the fact it's a hyper-unique track type for which not every team will try to optimize its setup.

Once we account for that variance, which drivers stand this week? Let's check it out.

NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Betting Picks

Chase Elliott to Win (+1600)

Chase Elliott's finishes at the LA Coliseum were... less than ideal. His best finish was 11th in the opening race, and he never led a single lap.

I just have a hard time passing him up at +1600.

This is due to Elliott's strength on short, flat tracks last year. In seven races, he had two podiums and an additional top-five. The two podiums both came in Martinsville, which is as short and as flat as they get on the Cup Series schedule.

It's possible Elliott just doesn't care about this event and, thus, isn't putting in the prep to excel. I wouldn't blame him for that. Barring that being true, his odds shouldn't be this long.

Even after weighing in all the volatility of the race, my model has Elliott at 7.4% to win, up from 5.9% implied. It's a big enough gap for me to bet him despite his lack of track record in the event.

Bubba Wallace to Win (+4000)

Bowman Gray seems like a stylistic fit for Bubba Wallace, and he showed some speed in the Coliseum. He's a fun longshot option.

Wallace tends to excel on short, single-groove tracks. Bowman Gray is an extreme version of that.

One of Wallace's better tracks is Martinsville. In six Next-Gen races there, he has three top-10s, including a fourth-place finish where he had a fourth-place average running position last year.

He has had a top-eight average running position in three of the past four Richmond races, one of which resulted in a fourth-place finish last year. He also was third at New Hampshire in 2022 and eighth in 2023. This style suits him.

He showed some of that in the 2023 Coliseum race, leading 40 laps before getting dumped late.

As a result, my model has Wallace at 4.8% to win, up from 2.4% implied. I agree with the model that he's undervalued and a fun ticket to open the season with.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.