2026 Cook Out Southern 500 odds, picks: NASCAR at Darlington projected leaderboard from proven model
Mike McClure's NASCAR model has simulated the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway 10,000 times
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The NASCAR Chase begins on Sunday from Darlington Raceway with the 2026 Cook Out Southern 500. It's the first of 10 playoff races in the Cup Series, and the green flag for NASCAR Darlington 2026 will drop at 5 p.m. ET. Denny Hamlin is the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season atop the standings, with Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick rounding out the top three ahead of the Cook Out Southern 500 2026.
Reddick won the the spring race at this track and is a +500 co-favorite, per the latest NASCAR Darlington odds, alongside Hamlin. Chase Briscoe, who is seeking a three-peat at this event, comes in at +600, with Kyle Larson (+850) and Blaney (+900) the only others in single digits. Ryan Preece, who won last week at Daytona to notch the final spot in the playoffs, is at +5000 to win in back-to-back weeks.
Before making any 2026 Cook Out Southern 500 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 31 winners since 2021 and 13 since 2025, including Denny Hamlin's back-to-back wins at Michigan and Pocono! Anyone who followed its lead on those NASCAR picks could have seen HUGE returns.
For NASCAR at Darlington, the model is fading Chase Briscoe at +600, saying he finishes outside the top 10 despite just two drivers having shorter odds. On the other hand, it is high on William Byron at +1900. Over seven Darlington races since 2023, Byron's average finish of 10.3 is second best in the sport, which includes a 2023 victory and a runner-up last year.
The model has also identified two MASSIVE longshot values of at least +5000 who make runs for the title!
So who wins the 2026 Cook Out Southern 500, and which huge longshots should you back? Visit SportsLine now to see the picks and best bets from a NASCAR model that's nailed 31 winners since 2021 including back-to-back wins by Denny Hamlin!
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