2026 Clash at Bowman Gray odds, NASCAR picks: Best bets for the race from proven racing expert

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 set 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, taking factors such as matchups and statistical trends into account. 

All told, the model has nailed a whopping 29 winners since 2021 and hit 11 winners in 2025! Anyone who followed its lead on those NASCAR picks could have seen HUGE returns.

For the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray, McClure's model is fading Ryan Blaney, who is a co-favorite at +650, but barely cracks the top 5 on the projected leaderboard. Another surprises: The model is high on Joey Logano, who is +1200!

The model has identified three longshots of +2200 or higher who are top-10 contenders, potentially netting any backer a huge payday!

So who wins the 2026 Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., and which massive longshot could stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 Clash at Bowman Gray picks and best bets from a NASCAR model that nailed 11 winners last year, and find out!