NASCAR All-Star Race Predictions: $1 Million on the Line This Weekend

• Denny Hamlin hopes to assert short-track mastery at North Wilkesboro.

• Joey Logano found his mojo at last Year’s NASCAR All-Star Race.

• Kyle Larson faces a busy weekend with commute to Indy time trials.

NASCAR All-Star Race Betting Odds

Odds taken from bet365 Sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 and claim $150 in bonus bets with a $5 wager, regardless of the bet outcome.

My Pick for the NASCAR All-Star Race

• Kyle Larson to win the race at +500 bia bet365

• Austin Dillon to finish in the top three at +2200 via bet365 (It’s worth a shot)

NASCAR All-Star Race Predictions

Can Denny Hamlin Assert Short-Track Mastery at North Wilkesboro?

Denny Hamlin grew up and refined his skills on Virgina short tracks before he advanced to NASCAR’s top division.

One of the foremost lessons he learned from his late model days was how to manage tires, and that ability has carried through his successful NASCAR Cup Series career.

For Sunday night’s All-Star Race, preceded by the All-Star Open, Goodyear is providing the same soft tire combination Cup drivers used at the preseason Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium and at Martinsville.

Hamlin finished third at Bowman Gray and won at Martinsville in late March. Accordingly, he can’t be ignored on Sunday.

We can’t belittle a bet on Hamlin at +600 via bet365 Sportsbook, but we think we have a better choice. After all, no Toyota driver has won the All-Star race since Kyle Busch turned the trick in 2017.

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Can Joey Logano Defend All-Star Victory in Even-Numbered Year?

Last year, Joey Logano and his No. 22 Team Penske Ford team found missing speed in a tire test and subsequent NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.

Logano won the All-Star event—not to mention the $1-million bonus that goes with the trophy—in dominating fashion, leading 199 of 200 laps.

The three-time Cup champion already has a victory and the security of a berth in the Playoffs this season, and he’s eager to defend his All-Star win.

Problem is, Logano tends to activate during even-numbered years and go dormant during the odd-numbered ones. He won all three of his championships and both of his All-Star races during even-numbered years.

Despite his win at Texas, luck has not been on Logano’s side this season. The Texas victory is his only top five of the year through 12 races, and he has just two other top 10s.

Hence, we’re not betting on Logano to win back-to-back All-Star Races, even though his bet365 odds are reasonable at +800.

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Commute to Indianapolis Shouldn’t Bother Versatile Kyle Larson

In terms of his competition schedule, Kyle Larson is the busiest driver in the NASCAR Cup Series garage.

When he’s not driving a Cup car, Larson will be behind the wheel of a winged 410 sprint car or a midget racer.

Larson will be especially busy for the next two weeks as he commutes between North Carolina and Indianapolis, where he will attempt to qualify for the Indy 500 this weekend. On May 25, Larson plans to race both at the Brickyard and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his second attempt at the legendary double.

But the hectic nature of his schedule won’t bother Larson. Why? Because nothing does. On May 9, he was racked up in a gnarly sprint car wreck at Lakeside Speedway. A day later, he won the pole for the Cup race at Kansas. A day after that, he won the race.

Larson has earned two of his three All-Star wins in the last five years, including the first event held at North Wilkesboro two years ago.

We like him to score another victory on Sunday, at +500 via bet365, and tie Jimmie Johnson for most career NASCAR All-Star Race victories.

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How to Watch the NASCAR All-Star Race

• What: NASCAR All-Star Race

• Where: North Wilkesboro Speedway

• When: Sunday, May 18, 8 p.m. ET

• How to Watch: FS1