The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season won’t officially begin until the Daytona 500, which is still a few weeks away, but the stars of the Cup Series will return to the track for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 5. Our expert will break down the betting odds to identify the top NASCAR bets and make his predictions for this weekend’s action. Tyler Reddick’s outright odds make him stand out as a value bet early this week.
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NASCAR Betting Odds for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum | Feb. 5
Best NASCAR Bets & Expert Prediction for the Busch Light Clash
Busch Light Clash Prediction: Qualifying Position Will Matter
The temporary track at the LA Coliseum measures a quarter-mile in distance and features tight hairpin turns, flat corners and low top speeds. With a clear preferred groove -- the bottom lane -- drivers will struggle to pass cars without bumping into them. NASCAR bettors should expect racing similar to what Bowman Gray Stadium provides every year.
No active track on the Cup Series circuit truly compares to the LA Coliseum. Martinsville and New Hampshire, other flat and narrow short tracks, give drivers quite a bit more room to make moves. The best comparator for this year's Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum is, well, last year's Busch Light Clash.
Because not every car can fit on the track at the same time, the Busch Light Clash uses a heat race format to determine the starting order for a 27-car main event. A traditional qualifying session on Saturday will determine the starting order for each of the four heat races. Drivers who fail to advance from their heat races will alsoget a chance to participate in a last-chance qualifier.
If last year is any indication, the lap times run on Saturday may determine the outcome of Sunday's main event. Each driver who started on the pole for their heat race won it. The only three drivers to lead laps in the main event -- Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Tyler Reddick -- won their respective heats and started within the top four. As a result, you'll want to place your NASCAR bet for this weekend's race before the books make post-qualifying adjustments.
Can Tyler Reddick Finish the Job?
Tyler Reddick would have won last year's Busch Light Clash but for a mid-race mechanical failure. The talented driver ran the second-best lap in qualifying, won his heat and found a way around polesitter Kyle Busch for the lead within the opening three laps. But then the drivetrain failed on his No. 8 Chevrolet during caution, and he had to surrender the lead and exit the race.
Since then, Reddick has left Richard Childress Racing for 23XI Racing's No. 45 Toyota. Reddick will benefit from more manufacturer support and could have a breakout season for the team. He might just get things started with a win at the Busch Light Clash, especially if he can perform as well in qualifying this year as he did last year.
Reddick's odds feel questionably long given his performance in last year's event. Joey Logano, who won the race from fourth, is the favorite at 9-1 or shorter. Kyle Busch, who came in second and will take over Reddick's No. 8 Chevrolet, owns odds of 10-1 or shorter. Yet Reddick's odds sit all the way up at 15-1 at Caesars Sportsbook. Two Toyota drivers, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, own shorter odds.
Best NASCAR Bet: Tyler Reddick (+1500 for 0.25 Unit) at Caesars Sportsbook
Will Ryan Preece Pull off a Huge Upset?
Although Ryan Preece ran only a limited Cup Series schedule last year, he found time to run the Busch Light Clash in Rick Ware Racing's No. 15 Ford. He qualified 18th and fought his way into the main event with a strong showing the last-chance qualifier. Preece's day ended early due to an oil pressure issue but he kept pace with drivers in far better equipment
Like Reddick, Preece will change teams this year. He'll run the full season in Stewart Haas Racing's No. 41 Ford. Although Cole Custer couldn't do much in the seat last year, he did manage to perform reasonably well at the LA Coliseum and at similar tracks. The No. 41 finished seventh in last year's Clash after Custer ran the 14th-fastest lap in qualifying. Custer also qualified the No. 41 car in a top-five spot at both Martinsville races. Preece's ride should have the speed he needs to secure a strong result -- it'll just be a question of execution.
Unlike most drivers in the field, Preece cut his teeth on similarly short and flat tracks. The Connecticut native worked his way up from the Whelen Modified Tour, which primarily ran at flat half-mile ovals like Stafford Speedway and Thompson Speedway when Preece competed. Preece has 12 wins and 40 top-fives to his name at those two tracks in the Whelen Modified Tour alone. With odds as high as 50-1, bettors looking for a high-risk, high-reward wager should get some exposure to Preece.
Best NASCAR Bet: Ryan Preece (+5000 for 0.1 Unit) at PointsBet
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