NASCAR Cup Series Odds, Picks & Bets for the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray
After a three-year run at the LA Coliseum, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the East Coast for this year’s exhibition opener. But instead of Daytona Beach, we’re in Winston-Salem, N.C., at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium. Let’s dive into the NASCAR Cup Series odds as I dish out my picks and best bets for the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
With the last Cup Series event here held in 1971, we’ll have to rely on comparator tracks—an essential part of our NASCAR betting strategy—to handicap this one. Fortunately, the Coliseum is a great comparator—both circuits are flat, quarter-mile ovals, rendering passing nearly impossible.
NASCAR Odds for the 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray
The three Clashes at the Coliseum were all won by different drivers. Joey Logano (2022), Martin Truex Jr. (2023), and Denny Hamlin (2024) all won the main event after starting near the front and staying there the entire night. In terms of overall laps led, Hamlin and Ty Gibbs combined to lead exactly 84 across the three events.
A quick look at the odds board reveals the usual suspects: Kyle Larson (8-1 at BetMGM), Denny Hamlin (8-1), and Christopher Bell (8-1) all sit atop the board, with Joey Logano (9-1) not far behind. Some books have Logano and Larson as co-favorites. You can even find Hamlin for a surprisingly long 11-1 at FanDuel and Hard Rock:
Names that jump out further down the board include Ryan Preece (30-1), who nearly won the 2023 Clash before mechanical issues cost him a shot at the win. Preece’s near-miss in 2023 was especially impressive given his climb from his 16th-place starting position. I got some action on him at 40-1 earlier in the week.
Ty Gibbs, who could’ve won this event last year, clocks in at 13-1 in most spots. Joe Gibbs Racing cars have led a monstrous 257 of 451 (57%) of all possible laps at quarter-mile tracks. With Gibbs’ teammates all trading at odds of 10-1 or shorter, he stands out as an interesting value—although his infamously short temper could cost him again.
NASCAR Bets & Picks for the 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray
Because quarter-mile tracks make passing so difficult, qualifying speed matters a lot. All three of the aforementioned Clash-winning drivers started in the first two rows: Logano (4), Truex (1), and Hamlin (2) didn’t have to improve their position much to win.
This leads us to our first NASCAR pick for the 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray: Get some exposure to whoever wins the pole. We won’t know who that is until Saturday night, so make sure to keep an eye on my X account. I’ll post the best outright and prop lines that I can find for the polesitter along with my recommended bet sizing.
If you can correctly identify the pole winner before qualifying, you’ll gain significant closing line value and hold a strong ticket on a likely contender. The Clash will use a timed qualifying session followed by four 25-lap heat races (and a last-chance qualifier on Sunday) to determine the starting order.
With no top-10 markets and only one book (FanDuel) offering top-5 odds, we’re limited in terms of what we can bet on for the Clash. That said, Hard Rock has a manufacturer market, and they’re hanging a +170 (37%) for Toyota. Based on DraftKings' odds, the four JGR drivers alone have a combined implied probability of 39.2%. The outright market has more hold, which explains part of the discrepancy, but this wager would probably be +150 at best on their site.
Lastly, I want some exposure to Ryan Preece. The 40-1 that I bought on Thursday might be gone, but the 33-1 at FanDuel and Hard Rock is disrespectful for a driver who nearly won this event two years ago and is in objectively better equipment this year. RFK Racing may have struggled in past Clashes, but they’re on an upward trend.
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Betting Card
Bet sizes are calculated on a per-unit basis. For an explanation of units, click here.
Toyota +170 at Hard Rock for 0.6U.
Ryan Preece +3300 at FanDuel & Hard Rock for 0.13U.
1-2 Additional Bets Posted via X after Qualifying (Aiming for 1 - 1.5U total).