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 Wednesday in the season-opening exhibition race. The event was originally scheduled for Sunday but has been postponed to Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET due to snowfall in the area. Ryan Blaney is the favorite at +550, with Denny Hamlin close behind at +600.

Other favorites include Chase Elliott at +650, Kyle Larson at +800 and Christopher Bell at +850. Bubba Wallace is a +3300 longshot, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a massive longshot priced at +20000.

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 the favorite at +550, but barely cracks the top 5 on the projected leaderboard. Another surprises: The model is high on Joey Logano, who is +1000!

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!