Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the next stop for the NASCAR Cup Series, hosting the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday at 3:30pm ET on FOX.
Hendrick Motorsports will aim for its fourth straight victory in the spring Vegas race.
It’s no surprise that HMS drivers Kyle Larson (+450) and William Byron (+900) are at the top of the odds board.
After back-to-back superspeedway races, Las Vegas is considered by many to be the first real test of the season.
The 1.5 mile oval should give an early indication of the top candidates.
After offering my favorite prop targets earlier in the week, here are my Pennzoil 400 betting picks, including past winners from Las Vegas and champions of the sport.
Pennzoil 400 Best Bets
Win: Christopher Bell (+1000, bet 365)
Last week in Atlanta, Bell didn’t have a chance after a crash on the second lap ended the race early.
The 29-year-old has been showing some speed on the track lately, so he should be excited to head to Las Vegas.
Bell finished in the top five in Stage 1, but a crash ruined his finish at the 2022 Fall Las Vegas race.
Excluding that finish, Bell has three consecutive top-10 finishes. Last season, he finished fifth and second in Las Vegas.
He performed particularly well in the autumn races, starting from pole position, finishing in the top three in both stages and leading 61 laps.
He nearly chased Kyle Larson for the win and finished a close second.
It’s only a matter of time before Bell dominates the 1.5-mile track.
I have no problem betting on him as one of the favorites to win.
Win: Kyle Busch (+1200, BetMGM)
I expected the 38-year-old Busch to take a step back this season, but he showed in the first two races that he would be a championship contender.
Busch took part in a thrilling three-wide finish in Atlanta last week, finishing third.
He returns to his home course, but surprisingly has only won once in 25 starts. That victory came in his 2009 year, but he is looking to win again.
Busch has finished sixth or better in six of his last seven starts in Las Vegas. He was aiming for victory in the spring 2022 race when a warning for a late start shuffled his starting order.
He finished third in last fall’s race.
Can Busch get his second Cup Series win at his home track? He will have plenty of motivation.
Top 3 Finish: Kyle Larson (+140, Caesars)
It’s never easy to bet on short favorites, but Larson’s Las Vegas numbers are hard to argue with.
He was almost invincible on the tracks of HMS.
In six starts in the No. 5 car at Las Vegas, Larson recorded two wins, two second places, led 421 laps, and averaged an 8.5 finish.
In last year’s fall race, he led 133 of 267 laps and achieved a clutch victory.
The spring races were great for Larson, who won in 2021, led for the final five laps in 2022 and 2023, and finished second in both races.
A late caution ruined Larson’s chances of winning in Las Vegas. It’s safe to bet on the top three in Sunday’s race.
Top 5 finish: Denny Hamlin (+150, bet 365)
It took a while for Hamlin to understand Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He had only two top-five finishes and led just 18 laps in his first 17 starts at this track.
Since then, he has had one win, four top-five finishes and led 374 laps in seven races.
His finishes in the past two Las Vegas spring races are not indicative of his performance. He had a top-five car for the 2022 race, but mechanical problems led to his early retirement.
Last season, he would have finished fourth if not for a late caution.
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Some will argue that his 10th place finish in last fall’s race is misleading.
Speed numbers show Hamlin had the fourth fastest car.
In the next-generation era, Toyota has demonstrated its speed on 1.5-mile circuits.
Hamlin has struggled to find victory lane in Las Vegas, but should compete for a top-five finish.
