The NASCAR field looks to get a jump on the 2026 season as they converge on Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., for the Cook Out Clash on Sunday in the season-opening exhibition race. Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott are the co-favorites at +650. Blaney enters the season coming off a sixth-place finish in last year’s standings. Elliott was eighth a year ago.

Other favorites include Denny Hamlin at +700, Kyle Larson at +800, William Byron and Christopher Bell, both at +850, and Chase Briscoe at +1100. The 200-lap race is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET. Before making any 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium picks or NASCAR predictions, you need to see what auto racing insider Mike McClure has to say, 

McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 29 winners since 2021 and hit 11 winners in 2025. Anyone following his NASCAR betting picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to the NASCAR exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine.

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2026 NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray expert picks

For the 2026 Clash at Bowman Gray in Winston-Salem, N.C., McClure is fading Blaney, who is the +650 co-favorite. The model says he barely cracks the top 5, making him a driver to avoid. Blaney was the runner-up in last year’s Clash, but his average finish position at this event is 8.5, so the model doesn’t love his value as a co-favorite.

Another surprise: The model is high on Joey Logano at +1200, calling him a top-six contender and giving him a better chance to win his odds imply. Logano was a top-five finisher at this event last year, and he finished last season strong with five top-eight finishes in his final nine events. See which other drivers he’s backing at SportsLine.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins:

How to make 2026 Clash at Bowman Gray predictions

McClure is also high on three NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray longshots of +2200 or higher, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who they are here.

So who wins the 2026 NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., and which massive longshots could stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray picks and best bets from a NASCAR insider, and find out.

2026 NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray odds, lineup

See full NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium picks at SportsLine

(Odds from DraftKings, subject to change)
Ryan Blaney +650
Chase Elliott +650
Denny Hamlin +700
Kyle Larson +800
William Byron +850
Christopher Bell +850
Chase Briscoe +1100
Joey Logano +1200
Ross Chastain +2000
Tyler Reddick +2200
Kyle Busch +2500
Chris Buescher +2500
Ty Gibbs +2800
Josh Berry +3000
Bubba Wallace +3000
Alex Bowman +3000
Ryan Preece +3500
Connor Zilisch +5000
Carson Hocevar +5000
Austin Dillon +5000
Austin Cindric +5500
Corey Lajoie +8000
Shane Van Gisbergen +10000
John Hunter Nemechek +10000
Erik Jones +10000
Todd Gilliland +12000
Noah Gragson +15000
Cole Custer +15000
AJ Allmendinger +15000
Zane Smith +20000
Michael McDowell +20000
Daniel Suarez +20000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +30000
Ty Dillon +50000
Riley Herbst +50000
Cody Ware +100000
Chad Finchum +100000
Burt Myers +100000