2025 Cook Out Clash odds, picks and predictions

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The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series starts off at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., Sunday for the 2025 Cook Out Clash preseason race. The green flag drops at 8 p.m. ET (FOX). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NASCAR odds around the 2025 Cook Out Clash odds, and make our expert NASCAR picks and predictions.

2025 Cook Out Clash: What you need to know

The Cook Out Clash takes place at historic Bowman-Gray Stadium — a.k.a. “The Madhouse” — which held NASCAR’s first sanctioned event on May 18, 1949. Richard Petty won his 100th Grand National Series race at the track, too.
For the first time, 39 NASCAR Cup Series cars are entered for the Clash on the 0.25-mile track. It’s the first time in 54 years NASCAR Cup Series drivers are racing at The Madhouse.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin won the 2024 installment of The Clash at Los Angeles Coliseum, and the now retired Martin Truex Jr. won for JGR in the 2023 race in Los Angeles.
Team Penske’s Joey Logano won the first race in the L.A. Coliseum in 2022, and he has a pair of Clash titles, also picking up checkers in 2017 at Daytona International Speedway.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson posted a 7.2 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in 11 short-track NASCAR Cup races last season, leading all drivers. He was just ahead of Hendrick’s Chase Elliott (7.45 AFP) in the category.
JGR’s Hamlin (8.64) and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney (8.91 AFP) are the only other NASCAR Cup Series drivers to post an AFP of 10th or lower last season on short tracks.
As far as poor performers on short tracks, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (22.09 AFP), Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones (22.20 AFP) and HYAK Motorsports driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (25.36 AFP) were among the worst performers on short tracks in 2024.

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2025 Cook Out Clash – Expert pick

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 10:25 p.m. ET.

KYLE LARSON (+800) is a strong play on the quarter-mile track at Bowman-Gray. In fact, this track and situation is almost tailor-made for the driver of the No. 5 machine.

Larson was a tremendous short-track driver last season, leading all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Average-Finish Position (7.2) in 2024 across 11 races. He is also the driver who has tasted victory most recently, picking up his third career victory 2 weeks ago at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals presented by NOS Energy Drink in midget car racing’s grandest event.

2025 Cook Out Clash – Contenders

There are so many unknowns, with plenty of driver switching teams, and the Cup Series kicking off at Bowman-Gray Stadium, very few of these drivers have any experience.

JGR’s TY GIBBS (+1300) is an intriguing pick. He was dominant in Saturday’s practice session, and JGR has picked up checkers in the past 2 Clash races held on the quarter-mile track at L.A. Coliseum.

RFK Racing’s RYAN PREECE (+2800) is a long shot to win, but he knows Bowman-Gray Stadium well. He is one of 10 drivers to race at Bowman-Gray before, including a modified track race on Saturday. He also has won a modified race at the track in the past.

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