NASCAR Odds: Food City Dirt Race prediction and pick

The Bristol Motor Speedway is the sight of this week’s NASCAR race as drivers leave the comfort of pavement behind and hit the dirt in the Food City Dirt Race. It is time to continue our NASCAR odds series with a Food City Dirt Race prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Early in the days of NASCAR, dirt races were not uncommon. From 1949 through 1970, nearly 500 NASCAR races were on dirt. After the 1970 season though, dirt races became extinct. That was until Bristol brought it back in the 2021 season, and introduced the Food City Dirt Race. In 2021, after 253 laps and over 134 miles, Joey Logano took the win. In 2022 it was Kyle Busch taking the checkered flag. Both those men are in the top seven in odds to win this year’s edition, but Kyle Larson is the favorite, and 33 other drives look to challenge those three for the win.

(Editors Note: The original publication of this article was completed before the preliminary heats on Saturday Nights. Odds may have changed)

Here are the NASCAR Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NASCAR Odds: Food City Dirt Race Odds

Kyle Larson +550

Tyler Reddick +600

Christopher Bell +650

Chase Briscoe +800

Joey Logano +1000

William Byron +1400

Kyle Busch +1600

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +1600

Denny Hamlin +1800

Ryan Blaney +2000

Daniel Suarez +2000

Alex Bowman  +2000

Martin Truex Jr. +2000

Ross Chastain +2500

Brad Keselowski +3000

Austin Dillon +3000

Kevin Harvick +4000

How to Watch Food City Dirt Race

TV: FOX

Stream: FOX Sports App

Time: 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT

*Watch Nascar LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Favorites To Win Food City Dirt Race

Kyle Karson

Kyle Larson enters the race as the favorite. While Larson had a disappointing first two starts, he has rebounded nicely. Following the disappointment he made a comeback and got second in the Pennzoil 400, and fourth in the United Rentals Work United 500 in Phoenix. Nevertheless, Larson got his win, leading 93 of the 400 laps in Richmond to take the victory last week. Last year Larson led some laps and got fourth in this race, but is widely regarded as one of the best dirt track racers. Larson has experience on a wide variety of dirt track style races, and his team, Hendrick Motorsports, is having a great season, so placing a pick on Larson to win is not a bad play.

Christopher Bell

Larson is not the only one with dirt track experience in his career. Christopher Bell has plenty of that as well. Despite starting second last year, Bell finished the race seventh. This season he is off to a very strong start, with five top-6 finishes. Bell is a winner on dirt tracks. He won the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, an indoor dirt race using midget cars. With that, he became only the second guy to win three in a row in that event. In 2020 he went for four but was beaten out by Kyle Larson.

Tyler Reddick

Another favorite to win will be Tyler Reddick. Reddick nearly won the race last year, leading 99 laps, but the last half lap of the race cost him. Chase Briscoe nicked him, and he spun sideways, allowing Kyle Busch to get the win. Consequently, he ended up finishing second but was very close to getting the victory. Furthermore, Reddick is also having a solid year, with a victory on the road course in the Circuit of the Americas, and two other top-five finishes to his resume. After his solid performances the past two seasons, he could get over the hump and get the victory.

Chase Briscoe

The man that cost Reddick his victory was Chase Briscoe, who is another favorite for this race. Briscoe led 59 laps in last year’s race and made a late charge to take the checkered flag. Ultimately, he hit Reddick and would finish 22nd. Unlike the three other favorites, Briscoe is not having a solid season. He has six finishes outside of the top 12 on the season and has only led five laps all year long. His average finish is 20.143 this year, but his prior work at Bristol makes this a prime spot to turn the season around.

Joey Logano

Rounding out the top five favorites is Joey Logano. Joey won the first running of this race back in 2021 and finished third last year. Last year never felt like Loganao was fully in contention though. He did not lead a single lap and spent much of the lap behind Reddick, Suarez, Briscoe, and Larson. This year Logano already has a win, and four finishes in the top ten. With a win here previously, and being in a position to win if luck had fallen his way last year, this could be a solid pick.

Sleepers To Win Food City Dirt Race

Daniel Suarez

Getting +2000 odds Daniel Suarez is an enticing pick for further down the odds board. Suarez finished fourth in 2021 and 12th in 2022 in this race. He has led laps in both races, with 58 laps led in 2021, and 64 laps led in 2022. Suarez has been in a position to win both races but has made small mistakes that have cost him each of them. With three top tens and a top-five finish to start the year, he has cooled off as of late. In his last four races, Suarez has failed to be inside the top 20 each time. Suarez has historically done better on short tracks, and his prior outings on this dirt track both give hope that he can finally break through and get the win.

Alex Bowman

If dirt track experience is what you are looking for in a pick, plus you want bigger odds, Alex Bowman is the right guy. Bowman is not the most well-liked guy among other drivers, with Denny Hamlin once calling him “just a hack.” Still, the hack has experience. He started his racing career on dirt tracks, competing in Dirt Midget and Sprint car races. Bowman also owns racing teams for those two styles of races as well, still competing as he can. Bowman finished 6th in this race last year and has finished in the top ten in six of his seven races on the year.

Food City Dirt Race Prediction & Pick

The dirt track is a beautiful homage to racing of the past while giving fans something different and exciting. The short track, with difficult-to-maneuver terrain makes it exciting. It is not the same speed as a normal NASCAR race, but all the action is there. Experience on the terrain makes a difference, and with rain, in the forecast, Friday, canceling practice, and making it so the track may not be perfect, experience is going to be key. Larson has not been able to close the deal in the past, and he does not this time. Christopher Bell gets his revenge for the 2020 Chili Bowl and takes the win.

Food City Dirt Race Prediction & Pick: Christopher Bell +650