The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 64th running of the Coca-Cola 600, with the green flag set to drop on Sunday, May 28, at 6 p.m. ET.
This is a festive event as one of three “Crown Jewel” races on the Cup Series schedule, along with the Daytona 500 and Southern 500.
The Coca-Cola 600 will also be the longest race of the season at 600 miles. This event has long been known as an “endurance” test for the drivers, and it will also be one for those who wager on the race.
You must strap in and prepare for a long ride as a bettor.
Coca-Cola 600 Odds
We used BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines for our Coca-Cola 600 preview. Claim our NASCAR BetMGM promotion and place your wagers.
NASCAR odds used for the Coca-Cola 600 were current as of Sunday, May 28, at noon ET. The favorites to win at Charlotte rank this way:
- Kyle Larson (+400)
- William Byron (+700)
- Denny Hamlin (+800)
- Chase Elliott (+900)
- Martin Truex Jr. (+1000)
- Ross Chastain (+1000)
- Kyle Busch (+1000)
- Christopher Bell (+1400)
- Joey Logano (+1600)
- Kevin Harvick (+1700)
- Tyler Reddick (+2000)
- Ryan Blaney (+2000)
- Bubba Wallace (+2000)
- Alex Bowman (+2200)
Coca-Cola 600 Winner Prediction
Kyle Larson (+400) • BetMGM Sportsbook
The odds-on favorite remains firmly in the spotlight. The Hendrick Motorsports superstar has been showing off his best form recently, and he is coming off a win in the All-Star race.
Larson remains worthy of my NASCAR best bet, even with the shortest odds. In 2021, he led 327 laps in this event on his way to a win, and the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro has the highest Driver Rating at the site over the past four races (120.6).
The Hendrick Motorports superstar will make a strong bid for his third victory of the season. Larson won the Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star race in 2021, and he is attempting to become the first driver to win both events in the same season more than once.
Coca-Cola 600 Favorites to Win
Drivers are listed in order of best bets/preference in each tier/grouping.
William Byron (+700) • BetMGM Sportsbook
Byron is a good bet to win at any track right now, coming off a win at Darlington in the most recent points race, with three consecutive top-five finishes. He has also posted impressive finishes at similar 1.5-mile intermediate tracks this season.
Prior to the Darlington race, Byron finished third at Kansas, and he won at Las Vegas earlier this season. He started and finished fourth in the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, leading for 19 laps.
Another prime Hendrick Motorsports pick for this week, the playoff standings leader had taken the pole twice at Charlotte Motor Speedway before being awarded the top spot again after Saturday’s qualifying was rained out.
Denny Hamlin (+800) • BetMGM Sportsbook
The defending champion of the Coca-Cola 600 has finished in the top two in two of his last three CMS starts. In last season’s event, Hamlin had the second-highest Driver Rating, at 114.9.
Dating back to 2020, Hamlin has the second-best Driver Rating at intermediate tracks (103.1). His all-time Average Finish of 11.9 at Charlotte ranks second among all active drivers.
Chase Elliott (+900) • BetMGM Sportsbook
The winner of the 2020 Coca-Cola 600, Elliott has placed in the top two in two of his last three Charlotte starts. Dating back to 2020 in the last four races at the site, he also has the second-best Driver Rating (114.6).
During the span of the last four CMS races, Elliott leads all drivers in Fastest Laps Run (132) and he is Fastest on Restarts. He has also led the third-most laps (174).
Martin Truex Jr. (+1000) • BetMGM Sportsbook
The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has led for 292 laps in his last three races, which includes a win at Dover. Truex is a three-time winner at Charlotte, with a victory in the 2019 Coca-Cola 600.
He is third-best in all-time Fastest Laps Run at CMS (588), and ranks fifth in Laps Led (67) at the site dating back to the 2020 season.
Coca-Cola 600 Sleeper Picks to Win
Tyler Reddick (+2000) • BetMGM Sportsbook
Reddick finished sixth in this event last season, and he had the third-best Driver Rating (113.6). His CMS Average Finish of 9.5 is the best among all active drivers.
In the last four Charlotte races, Reddick leads all drivers in Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 while under green flag conditions, 200). He is also first among Closers (3.0 Average Sports Gained in the final 10 percent of CMS races).
Joey Logano (+1600) • BetMGM Sportsbook
The Team Penske star is capable of recapturing his best form at any time. Logano does have some promising recent stats at Charlotte to consider.
Over the past four races at CMS, the No. 22 driver ranks second in Average Running Position (8.6). He has also been third in Fastest Restarts while also leading for a total of 77 laps.
Bubba Wallace (+2000) • BetMGM Sportsbook
Wallace has the recent look of a driver on the rise. He is coming off a second-place finish in the All-Star race.
In his last two points races, Wallace has finished in the top five. He has finished fourth at Kansas and Las Vegas this season, making him worthy of serious consideration at CMS.
Chase Briscoe (+8000) • BetMGM Sportsbook
If you are looking for a long-shot winner type, don’t go for Jimmie Johnson at +15,000 simply based on his faraway past glories. Briscoe is one of the deeper plays that can contend, in a field of picks that will have an emphasis on more familiar names.
In the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, Briscoe finished fourth. He had the fourth-highest Driver Rating in the event (104.2), and Briscoe has three top-5 finishes in his last six starts.
Coca-Cola 600 Best Prop Bets
Chase Elliott (-150) over Kevin Harvick • BetMGM Sportsbook
I have listed Elliott as a contender to win this week, as the Hendrick cars are among my top recommended wagers. This seems to be a strong play, as I don’t expect Harvick to challenge the prime picks in this event.
Harvick has five consecutive top 10s at CMS and starts on the front row, but he did not finish in the top eight at Kansas or Vegas. While he should vie for a respectable finish, I don’t think Harvick will be in the mix with Elliott when it matters most.
Chase Briscoe (+120) over Austin Dillon • BetMGM Sportsbook
Dillon won the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 and has two top-eight finishes in his last three CMS starts, which is likely why he is favored over Briscoe. But Dillon has finished inside the top 10 only once since the second race of the season, so I will lean toward the driver of the No. 14 Ford Mustang.
How to Bet on the Coca-Cola 600
Diversification is key
As in NASCAR DFS, spread out your wagers so you can have a better shot at heading to the pay window. In the longest race of the year, tire issues could take out any driver at any time in the later portions of the event.
You should not just wager on the projected winners, either. Several of my highlighted drivers for this event are good plays as top-three finishing picks. Consider Truex at +300 or Wallace at +500 to place in the top 3, so you can potentially head to the pay window even if they don’t win the race.
Dominance may not be possible
In 2021’s race, Larson led for 327 laps as we mentioned. But we saw more lead changes in the Next Gen Car last season.
Two drivers led for a combined 239 laps in last year’s event, and there were 31 lead changes as compared to 23 in the 2021 Coca-Cola 600. The winner, Hamlin, led for 15 laps, so we may not see our victor emerge until later in the race.
Lean on recent seasonal and track results
Usually, I advise heavily considering results from pre-race events as an indicator of who may run well. But qualifying and practice were rained out on Saturday.
Instead, the best markers and points of reference we can provide come from recent events this season and at Charlotte in recent years.
Much info here is supplied from recent races at CMS, and I have also referred to how the recommended drivers have performed this season. Results at comparable tracks such as Kansas and Las Vegas should be consulted and are noted where applicable.
