Larson Tops the Board as NASCAR Heads to Bristol’s Night Race

Days after ending a lengthy winless stretch at World Wide Technology Raceway, Kyle Larson opens as the early betting favorite for Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Early odds published by Fox Corporation‘s FOX Sports list Larson at +400, just ahead of Chase leader Denny Hamlin at +500.

Larson’s position at the top of the board follows his first victory of the 2026 season, which moved him to second in the Chase standings, nine points behind Hamlin. Bristol has been one of his strongest venues: he finished third there in April after leading 284 laps, won the 2025 spring race while leading 411 of 500 laps, and dominated the 2024 fall event with 462 laps led.

Hamlin, a four-time Cup winner at the half-mile track, arrives with four victories this season and the Chase lead. He placed ninth in April’s spring race at Bristol.

The Next Tier of Contenders

Ryan Blaney sits third at +550, followed by Ty Gibbs at +650 and Christopher Bell at +750. Bell won the September 2025 Bristol night race from the ninth starting spot, though his most recent visit to the track ended in a 27th-place finish.

William Byron and Chase Briscoe are both listed at +1100, with Joey Logano at +1200. Logano, the three-time Cup champion currently seventh in the Chase standings, finished seventh at Bristol in April and fifth in last year’s night race. His resume includes consecutive Bristol victories in 2014 and 2015, and he enters the weekend off a strong Gateway performance: pole position, a Stage 1 win, a race-high 96 laps led, and a third-place finish.

Further down the early board, Tyler Reddick is listed at +1800 and Chase Elliott at +2000.

Betting Context

The race is one of the more unpredictable events on the NASCAR calendar, and the pricing reflects that. Odds for motorsport events are frequently published by media outlets including Fox Corporation, whose FOX Sports division distributes the numbers cited here. Shares of Fox Corporation (FOXA) traded at $65.52 recently, up roughly 0.99% from a prior close of $64.87, giving the entertainment company a market capitalization of about $26.85 billion.

Note: odds information is provided for reporting purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation of any wager or security.

What to watch

• Qualifying results and final odds movement ahead of Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Whether Larson or Hamlin leaves Bristol atop the Chase standings with the playoffs advancing.
• Fox Corporation’s next quarterly earnings report and any updates on its sports betting and media strategy.

Source: original release