Busch Clash betting Picks, Odds and Prediction

The annual NASCAR race schedule starts in earnest with the Daytona 500. That is when drivers and teams can start stacking points in the NASCAR cup standings, with the Cup Series playoffs firmly in focus but with a full season to race. However, NASCAR kicks off the season in style with its annual preseason Clash event, giving fans a taste of what’s to come in the following season.

NASCAR’s annual Clash event moved from its traditional preseason home at the Daytona International Speedway to a, made-for-TV event in Los Angeles in 2022.

NASCAR is attempting to capitalize on the spectacle, scheduling the Clash to finish under the bright lights of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the sun sets on the West Coast.

We’ll preview NASCAR’s annual preseason clash and make our Busch Clash betting picks for Sunday’s main event.

NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Information

Busch Light Clash At the Coliseum

350 laps Over Seven Heats | The Clash is 150 laps

Date: Sunday, February 5. 8:00 PM ET

Location of the Race: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles, CA.

How to watch: FOX, NASCAR Live.

A Look Back at 2022

In 2022, the Busch Light Clash moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, using a temporary and purpose build track within the stadium. The 2023 Clash is the second edition in its new home, which will likely remain the Clash’s home if the event continues to be a success.

The 2022 Clash at the Coliseum was won by eventual 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano. NASCAR fans should take note of this info when making their Busch Clash betting picks, as the Clash can give insight into which driver is locked in with his machinery early, from which they can build a championship campaign around.

Logano won the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum to start his Cup Series Championship season on the right foot. Logano led 35 of the Clash’s 150 laps in his Ford-Penske machinery. Two-time Cup Series Champion and annual favorite to win the series Championship and many races along the way, Kyle Busch finished second after leading 65 laps in his Joe Gibbs-Toytoa car.

Clash at the Coliseum Track and Heat Information

The Clash at the Coliseum turns home of the USC Trojans, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, into a narrow, quarter-mile oval. The infrastructure of the stadium results in the oval resembling a football, which is perfect for a venue famous for football. 

There are qualifying sessions to set the grid for four heat races. These four heats are 25-lap sprints, with the top five cars in each heat returning for the 150-lap Clash later that night. 

After the four heats, there are two Last Chance races for the rest of the drivers who didn’t qualify in the top 20. These races are 50 laps, with each race sending three drivers per race to the main event Clash.

Each of the four heats and two Last Chance races fill the six spots on the grid and set 26 of the 27 competitors for the actual clash. The twenty-seventh and final entry into the Clash is given to the diver who didn’t qualify for the Clash but had the most points in the previous season’s NASCAR Cup Series standings.

The Clash at the Coliseum is 150 laps and features 27 cars battling for space and an edge in very tight conditions. You can find the heat times and the entire Clash at the Coliseum schedule.

2023 NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Contenders

In motorsports, it’s the combination of driver and machinery that has to work in concert to win a lap, race, or championship. Here are our top five favorites from the field to take home the Clash at the Coliseum win and start their NASCAR season on the right foot.

The Favorites From the Field

Joey Logano 

No list of favorites in NASCAR this season is complete without defending NASCAR Cup Series Champions Joey Logano. Logano returns to the Penske-Ford combination that helped him win the 2022 Clash and put together a magical Cup Series Championship-winning season. 

Logano will be in the 150-lap Clash and should be among the favorites to win.

Ryan Blaney

A teammate of Logano at Team Penske, Blaney is high on the list of favorites to win the Daytona 500 and should put a second Penske-Ford car into the main Clash, signaling a good start for Team Penske in the 2023 NASCAR season.

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch switched teams in 2023, leaving the Joe Gibbs-Toyota team and trying on new Chevrolet machinery with Richard Childress Racing. 

Busch is always a favorite to win any race, is among the favorites to win the Daytona 500, and should be among the favorites to win the 2023 Clash at the Coliseum.

Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin has put together successful seasons consistently and finds himself in the NASCAR Cup Playoffs regularly. Hamlin is always a threat to win a race and will attempt to win the Clash in Joe Gibbs-Toyota Machinery. 

Kyle Larson

Hendricks motorsports have locked Larson up until 2026, building their future success around the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2022 Daytona 500 pole-sitter Kyle Larson.

Larson’s 2021 championship season was the most impressive since Jimmie Johnson in 2007, and he should be among your picks to win any race, be it the Clash, Daytona, or Ponoco.

2023 NASCAR Busch Clash at The Coliseum Odds

While most weekends’ NASCAR Cup Series odds are easy to find, no betting lines were available at the time of publication to use and make any NASCAR predictions today.

However, we recommend checking your favorite online sportsbooks closer to the actual Clash at the Coliseum to find the most up-to-date odds to make your Busch Clash betting picks. 

We’re going to make our picks without the Clash’s odds but with a little help from the Daytona 500 futures betting lines that are currently available.

2023 NASCAR Busch Clash at The Coliseum Betting Picks

Now, for our Busch Clash betting picks.

The first of our Busch Clash betting picks is to explore potential prop bet lines and focus on caution flags in the Clash itself. We wouldn’t bother trying to find betting odds on qualifying, considering this is a preseason event and how qualifying is set up. 

You might not find betting lines on qualifying, but as we get closer to the Clash, you should see various betting lines on the actual Clash itself. However, if you can find betting lines on caution flags, you should place a wager. Considering the necessarily narrow track, there will be caution flags, and you can capitalize on that when the full slate of Clash odds is released.

The second of our Busch Clash betting picks is to take the 2021 NASCAR Cup Champion Kyle Larson to start his 2023 season on the winning foot, taking home the Clash’s checkered flag under the lights of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

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