…And We’re Racing!
While the Daytona 500 seemingly just wrapped up, the NASCAR Cup Series travels from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast for the second regular season event: The Pala Casino 400.
The NASCAR Cup Series regular season will be a mad dash to the end from here on out, and we are finally back to full-on, flat-out out motorsports action as the calendar prepares to turn from February to March.
We’ll preview round 2 by looking at the recent past in Fontana and the 2023 season so far to help find the best selections for betting online this weekend.
Let’s check the latest NASCAR news, stats, injury reports, and NASCAR lines for Pala Casino 400. We’ve got plenty of NASCAR picks for you to consider.
Will Hendrick Motorsports Win Three in a Row?
Hendrick Motorsports has won the last two Pala Casino 400s under a different sponsor name and three of the last six races of the 400s at Fontana. Hendrick Motorsports is always a contender every race weekend, having four cars that can realistically win pole position or the race regardless of the venue.
All four of its drivers have odds of +2200 or lower, with two drivers occupying the top two odds positions as the Pala Casino 400’s early betting favorites.
Kyle Larson, a preseason favorite in NASCAR Cup Series Future odds and every event this season, is the early betting favorite after starting on the front row and despite finishing 18th at Daytona after contact with Travis Pastrana.
Impressive Season Starts Continuentue?
Qualifying 25th and 16th in the Duels and Daytona, JTG Daugherty Racing-Chevrolet’s sole driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. found his way to the front, fighting with Joey Logana for the Daytona 500 on the last lap, starting session one from 31st.
While we don’t expect Stenhouse to repeat this impressive feat, we do think two drivers will continue their excellent starts to the NASCAR season. Team Penske-Ford’s Joey Logano has been on top of things at Daytona after having a mediocre Clash at the Coliseum.
Logano qualified fifth at Daytona, winning the first Duel, and was inches away from winning the Daytona 500 before the race finished with its final caution flag. Logano looks to be on the same form that helped him build a NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2022, with the early lead in the standings with his performances this season.
Logano and Clash at the Coliseum winner Martin Truex Jr. have looked good to start the season despite mixed final results and could break through and get the first win of the 2023 season for either driver.
NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 Recent Results
Richard Childress Racing-Chevrolet’s Kyle Busch has the most wins at the Pala Casino 400, having won this race three times for Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota (2013-14, 2019). Online sports betting favorite Hendrick Motorsport-Chevorlet’s Kyle Larson is the most recent winner, winning two Pala Casino 400s in his career (2017, 2022).
RFK Racing-Ford’s Brad Keselowski (2015), Joe Gibbs Racing-Toyota’s Martin Truex Jr. (2018), Stewart-Haas Racing-Ford’s Kevin Harvick (2011), and 2023 Daytona 500 pole winner Hendrick Motorsport-Chevrolet’s Alex Bowman (2020) are the other drivers that have won this race in the past.
Team Penske-Ford’s Austin Cindric followed up winning the Daytona 500 as a rookie by winning pole position for the 2022 Pala Casino 400.
NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 Race Information
- Race: NASCAR Cup Series – Pala Casino 400 (200 Laps/3 Stages)
- Location: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA
- Day/Time: Saturday, Feb. 26, 3:30 p.m. ET
- NASCAR Cup Series – Pala Casino 400 Live Stream: NBCSports.com
NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 Betting Lines
| ODDS TO WIN NASCAR Cup Series – Pala Casino 400 | MONEYLINE |
| Kyle Larson | +650 |
| Chase Elliott | +700 |
| Denny Hamlin | +800 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 |
| Kyle Busch | +1100 |
| Christopher Bell | +1100 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +1200 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1200 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| William Byron | +1600 |
| Kevin Harvick | +2000 |
The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.
NASCAR Cup Series Pala Casino 400 Picks and Prediction
Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR odds for this weekend at +650, with Cup Series public betting favorites Denny Hamlin (+800) and Chase Elliott (+700) rounding out the top three favorites in the odds.
However, we have been really impressed with Martin Truex Jr. and reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano so far this season. Both drivers have been in Victory Lane this non-season competition, while Logano finished second at Daytona. With both drivers listed at +1200, either one could win and provide a great return when they do.
For a long-shot pick, we like Bubba Wallace at +3300 and last year’s winner Alex Bowman at +2200. The 2022 Pala Casino 400s pole sitter, Austin Cindric, is listed at +8000 and is one of the few drivers beyond +5000 odds we would consider picking.
