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🏁Food City 500: Key takeaways
- Best pre-qualifying bet: Denny Hamlin (+550): did everything but win at Martinsville.
- Best pre-qualifying value: Chase Briscoe (+1400): Consistently delivers speed here.
- Best pre-qualifying prop bet: Ryan Blaney Top 5 (-110): Constantly overcomes pit issues to factor late.
- Track: Tire management and fast pit stops help avoid loss of track position.
- Weather: Calm and clear with partly sunny skies.
Food City 500 odds: favorites & full field
The Food City 500 runs at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1. Below are the latest outright odds, followed by the picks and market-by-market best bets we like this week.
| Driver |  |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | <<+400>> |
| Denny Hamlin | <<+550>> |
| Ryan Blaney | <<+650>> |
| Christopher Bell | <<+700>> |
| Ty Gibbs | <<+900>> |
| William Byron | <<+1000>> |
| Chase Elliott | <<+1400>> |
| Chase Briscoe | <<+1400>> |
| Joey Logano | <<+1600>> |
| Brad Keselowski | <<+2200>> |
| Carson Hocevar | <<+2800>> |
| Kyle Busch | <<+3000>> |
| Chris Buescher | <<+3000>> |
| Tyler Reddick | <<+3000>> |
| Ross Chastain | <<+3500>> |
| Bubba Wallace | <<+4000>> |
| Ryan Preece | <<+4000>> |
| Austin Cindric | <<+5500>> |
| Josh Berry | <<+6000>> |
| Zane Smith | <<+10000>> |
Odds as of 4-11.
Check out the full Food City 500 field here.
Best bets card (updated Saturday)
- Outright: Denny Hamlin (+550)
- Outright: Chase Briscoe (+1400)
- Top 5: Ryan Blaney (-110)
- Matchup: William Byron (+130) over Ty Gibbs
Who’s hot? Who’s not?
- 🔥 William Byron — NASCAR’s “Mr. Consistent” rides a four-race Top 10 streak into Sunday.
- 🔥 Ty Gibbs — No worse than sixth in five straight races.
- ❄️ Ross Chastain — No better than 16th in his last five outings.
- ❄️ AJ Allmendinger — Just one Top 20 in his last four overall.
Track breakdown: What wins at Bristol Motor Speedway?
Bristol Motor Speedway chews up tires, so managing them is crucial. It’s also imperative to maintain track position, and have a car that can manage dirty air with lapped traffic typically playing a role in the outcome.
- The top part of the turns at Bristol tend to gather “marbles,” or pieces of tire, as the race goes on. Avoiding the marbles and hugging the bottom lane is a must.
- Pit road is tricky to navigate, so pay attention to who qualifies well and gets better pit road stall choices.
Key stats & driver profiles to target
- Back-to-back wins are not an uncommon sight at Bristol. Three active drivers have accomplished the feat; Kyle Busch (2009 and again in 2017-18), Brad Keselowski (2011-12), and Kyle Larson (2024-25).
- More than half of the NASCAR Cup Series winners at Bristol Motor Speedway have started in the Top 5 (74 wins, 58.3%), and more than 75% have started in the Top 10.
Drivers to watch
- Kyle Larson has burned a lot of money since his last win at Kansas in May 2025, but this is one of his better tracks.
- Tyler Reddick leads the Cup Series in average starting position (7.4), with Ryan Blaney in second (8.7).
Odds movement & market notes
- Carson Hocevar moved from +3000 to +2800 during the week, likely based on his solid results here a year ago.
- Brad Keselowski has gotten some attention following an eye-catching run at Darlington, moving from +2500 to +2200.
Outright picks: Winners to bet
Pick 1: Denny Hamlin to win (+550)
It’s hard to knock Hamlin’s short-track form.
- Track Fit: Tops in average rating at short tracks last four years.
- Recent Form: Won at Vegas, led 292 laps at Martinsville in last three weeks.
- Market Value: Shouldn’t be longer than the chilly Larson.
Risk: Lost the war late at Martinsville in a shorter race.
Pick 2: Chase Briscoe to win (+1400)
Has shaken off a rough start to ’26.
- Track Fit: Three straight Top 10s here.
- Recent Form: Top 15 in three straight overall.
- Market Value: Playable down to +1000.
Risk: Has never won a short-track race at this level.
Best Top 5 bet
Pick 1: Ryan Blaney to finish Top 5 (-110)
Despite pit road issues, Blaney remains a force each week.
- Track Fit: Has averaged a Top 5 in last three trips here.
- Recent Form: Second in the points standings.
- Market Value: Much more appetizing than Larson at -175.
Risk: Blaney’s pit crew is outside the Top 25.
Best matchup & head-to-head bets
Pick 1: William Byron (+130) over Ty Gibbs
Gibbs is hot, but this price on Byron is more than fair.
- Matchup Advantage: Byron has been just as solid as Gibbs lately, but with less fanfare.
- Key Stat: Gibbs has never won at this level.
Risk: Gibbs seems long overdue for a breakthrough.
How to watch the Food City 500
| Location: | Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN |
| Date: | Sunday, April 12, 2026 |
| Start time: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FS1 |
Check out the full weekend schedule for the 2026 Food City 500.
Bristol Motor Speedway weather
It will be a weekend-high 80 degrees at Bristol on Sunday, with light winds and a virtually nil chance of rain ruining proceedings.
Previous Food City 500 winners
| Year | Winner | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet |
| 2024 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota |
| 2023* | Christopher Bell | Toyota |
| 2022* | Kyle Busch | Toyota |
| 2021* | Joey Logano | Ford |
*denotes race was contested on dirt rather than concrete.
Food City 500 betting FAQ
When is the 2026 Food City 500?
The Food City 500 will be held on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Where will the 2026 Food City 500 be held?
Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN will be the site for the Food City 500.
Who is the 2026 Food City 500 favorite?
Kyle Larson is the +400 betting favorite to win the Food City 500
Who won the Food City 500 last year?
Kyle Larson took last year’s rendition of the Food City 500.
How do Food City 500 prop bets work?
You can wager on drivers to finish in the Top 3, 5, or 10 in the Food City 500, or seek out driver vs. driver matchup props.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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