Pearce Dietrich gives his top NASCAR bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol.

The NASCAR Cup Series is making its annual fall visit to Bristol, TN. Whether Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum or The World’s Fastest Half-Mile Here one thing is for sure — Saturday Nights are for fighting! Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol.

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Race Winner — Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol

Kyle Larson +300

There have been Kings of Concrete, but Kyle Larson is the emperor of concrete, and The Last Great Colosseum is his Roman arena. The Bristol Night Race has always been about who can conquer chaos, and Larson has elevated it to an art form. He’s taken the last two wins at The Last Great Colosseum, and it hasn’t been by chance — he’s led 873 of the last 1,000 laps. That’s not survival, that’s not domination — that’s empire building. On a surface where even the best drivers get humbled, Larson has found a way to bend the track to his will. Betting against him Saturday night feels more like wishful thinking than strategy.

Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell are decorated gladiators, but Larson is a lion. The others come to fight, but he comes to feast. This isn’t a coin-flip short track anymore; this is Larson’s personal colosseum. Winning three straight at the Night Race would be a historic achievement, but based on the last two seasons, it feels inevitable. Larson’s blend of speed, rhythm and control in long green-flag runs makes him the best bet on the board. If there’s money to be placed on Bristol, it should be riding with the emperor.

Race Winner — Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol

Denny Hamlin +400

NASCAR’s villain — or troll — is the only driver with the chops to beat everyone’s favorite, Kyle Larson, at Bristol. Larson may be the emperor of concrete, but emperors don’t last forever — and Hamlin has the track record to stage a coup. He’s finished top-five in four straight Bristol races with two wins in the Gen-7 car. One of his recent wins was the 2023 Night Race, proving he knows how to handle the chaos under the lights. While Larson has dominated the laps-led column, Hamlin has quietly matched him in consistency, execution and late-race strength. If anyone can knock the emperor off the throne, it’s the veteran in the No. 11.

Hamlin’s skill set matches Bristol’s demands perfectly: he’s patient in traffic, aggressive on restarts and his team nails pit cycles when the pressure peaks. That combination gives him the chance to flip the script and seize control when it matters most. Betting on Hamlin isn’t fading Larson — it’s backing the only driver capable of overthrowing him. At +400, the value is there for a well-planned coup in The Last Great Colosseum.