The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action this weekend for the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Bettors can watch the game on Sunday at 3:30pm ET on FOX.
FanDuel Sportsbook lists Kyle Larson (+500) as the pre-race favorite to win. Larson won last week’s race in Las Vegas and took home the championship at the fall 2021 race in Phoenix. Other favorites include Ryan Blaney and William Byron (+700).
Phoenix will host the championship race in November, so Sunday’s performance will be key in that race.
Which drivers should you target in the Shriners Children’s 500? Check out my favorite bets for Sunday’s race.
Shriners Children’s 500 Best Bets
Winner: Ryan Blaney (+750, betmgm)
Last fall, Ryan Blaney won his first NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix. He became the first champion in his four eras of the championship not to win the final race of the season, but that doesn’t take away from his success in Phoenix.
Blaney heads into Sunday’s race having won his third consecutive runner-up finish at Phoenix. Over the last four races at Phoenix, he leads the Cup Series with four top-five finishes, 254 laps led, an average finish of 2.5 and 175 points.
In my opinion, Blaney should be the favorite in this race. His success in Phoenix is in the numbers, and Ford is generally strong on trucks.
There is no consolation prize for second place in the Spring Phoenix Race. Blaney has a great chance to end the streak and get his first win in Phoenix.
Win: Ross Chastain (+1000, caesars)
Championship 4 always attracts attention at the fall Phoenix race, and last year’s race drew attention when Ross Chastain won his first Phoenix race. Chastain had a dominant performance, leading 157 of 312 laps.
It wasn’t an unusual performance for Chastain. Since joining Trackhouse Racing in 2022, Chastain has finished in the top three in three of the four races at Phoenix. His only bad finish came after Denny Hamlin pinned him against the wall on the final lap.
Chastain had to overcome pit road penalties over the past two weeks to achieve a top-10 finish. He has speed, but he needs to correct his mistakes if he is to compete for the win.
If Chastain can avoid pit road issues, he should be a strong candidate to win back-to-back races at Phoenix.
William Byron Top 5 finish (+140, betmgm)
Early on in Las Vegas, it looked like William Byron would be one of the top candidates. He then suffered a series of problems and could only recover to finish 10th. Byron should be back in contention in Phoenix.
Byron has been solid in Phoenix throughout his career, but he took it to the next level last season. He led 64 laps, slowing and passing his teammate Kyle Larson to win the spring race. Byron led 95 laps in the fall race and finished fourth.
Byron will be a driver who can fight for victory at any track. He proved that last season and it will carry over into 2024.
There were some drivers I liked more than Byron on Sunday, but I still see him competing for a top-five finish.
Chris Buescher Top 10 finish (+100, bet365)
Chris Buescher had a breakout season in 2023, winning three races and finishing seventh in the standings. Unfortunately, 2024 has had a tough start, and they are outside the top 20 in points.
Buescher needs a solid finish, and he could get that in Phoenix. The Fords have a lot of speed on the track, and Buescher showed that in last fall’s race.
He led 18 laps, won stage two and finished fifth. This was his second top-10 finish in his last four starts for Phoenix.
Buescher was one of six drivers to test tires in Phoenix during the offseason, so he should have a slight advantage. That should help him achieve his best finish in 2024.
