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2024 NASCAR All-Star Race: NASCAR at North Wilkesboro Odds, Picks & Predictions

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Staying stagnant – unwilling to change – is often the worst thing to do when problems arise.

Sure, the right plan needs to be put in place, but taking action shows a level of commitment and care. NASCAR is doing as such this weekend, using the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race as an opportunity to test new tire compounds. It’s an effort to save short tracks, where the history and grassroots of this sport belong.

According to Fox Sports’ NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass, there are three types of tires in play for the main event feature:

  • Prime tires: The regular short-track tire
  • Rain tires: Used in damp conditions, including early at Richmond
  • Option tires: The new tire that uses the rubber from the rain tires

This move from the governing body and rules committee is a cap tip to those who grew up with Martinsville, Richmond and this weekend’s venue, North Wilkesboro, being the hottest tickets in NASCAR.

While this move, plus the announcement of the NASCAR In-Season Tournament, gives me hope for the future of the sport and its betting industry, it makes our job as handicappers a lot more difficult this week. Because of this, I’ll be scaling back my betting card for the main event and targeting the NASCAR All-Star Open. This is the 100-lap shootout for the non-locked-in drivers fighting to transfer, where they’ll all be on the same set of tires.

Let’s break it down further in my best bets for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race and Weekend.

2024 NASCAR All-Star Race: NASCAR at North Wilkesboro Odds, Picks & Predictions

All-Star Open Outright: Ty Gibbs (+250 via FanDuel) | 4u

I’m pushing my chips in. This is the big kahuna, the biggest single wager I’ve placed this NASCAR season. Ty Gibbs comes into the All-Star Open as the heavy favorite, and for good reason.

He’ll likely start out front, as he has the best average starting position in this field (10.8), which is third amongst all Cup Series drivers this season. He also started on the pole of this race last year, led 53 laps and finished second. He had the best shot at winning if it were not for some untimely revenge blocks from Michael McDowell, as he and Josh Berry were lapping the No. 34 car.

Considering comp tracks, Gibbs has shown speed. He was the class of the field at this year’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, leading 84 laps after starting third. He also led 57 laps and finished third at Pheonix. The only area of concern is that he ran in the mid-teens for a lot of this year’s Richmond and Martinsville races.

Still, I will back the fastest car, the best overall team and arguably the most talented driver in this field that’s coming off a runner-up finish at Darlington. Hammer down, folks.

All-Star Race Outright: Kyle Larson (+900 via FanDuel) | 1.5u

Kyle Larson is the headline of the weekend. Kevin Harvick will replace the California native in practice and qualifying while he qualifies for the Indy 500.

Though investing in a driver who will miss time on the track and start in the rear may be risky, Kyle Larson isn’t any driver. He’s arguably the best all-around wheelman on the planet. His North Wilkesboro numbers from last year are also staggering. He won the Truck Series race, his first race in a truck in two years. Despite an early speeding penalty in the All-Star Race, Larson went on to pass the entire field, lead 145 laps and win going away. He ranked first in the total speed rankings, green flag speed and speed late in a run, courtesy of ifantasyrace.com.

While the 31-year-old is a jack-of-all, he’s still a master of the short-flat tracks. He sits second in the 2024 short-flat track total speed rankings to only Denny Hamlin (also on the card). Larson has finished second at Martinsville, third at Richmond and fifth at the Busch Light Clash this year.

Aside from a superspeedway, you’ll never get a 9-1 pre-race ticket on Larson. At one of his best tracks and with option tires in play to help him make up ground, I’ll take my chances with the No. 5 team to find victory lane.

Winning Car Number: Odd (-130 via Caesars) | 2u

Perhaps the safest bet on the board this weekend is to back an odd-numbered car to win the All-Star Race. With this wager, you get the following bullets in the chamber that are serious contenders:

  • Ross Chastain (1): Was the fifth-fastest late in a run in 2023
  • Kyle Larson (5): See above
  • Chase Elliott (9): P4 last year & the No. 1 total speed ranking at Martinsville
  • Denny Hamlin (11): The favorite in this race for a reason
  • Chris Buescher (17): Fired up after two close losses & finished P2 at Phoenix
  • Martin Truex Jr. (19): No. 5 in the 2024 short-flat track total speed rankings
  • Bubba Wallace (23): The runner-up last year but needs to transfer
  • Tyler Reddick (45): Finished P3 last year & should have short-run speed
  • Daniel Suarez (99): Led 55 laps & had the second-best driver rating in 2023

I would like this number if I was only getting Hamlin, Larson and Martin Truex Jr. So, I’ll happily pay a taste of juice for an additional six drivers who have at least something to like about them coming into North Wilkesboro.

Other Cup Series Bets on My Card:

Tail Seth’s Plays on the BP App @Between_SethFF

Seth Woolcock is a featured writer and editor at BettingPros. For more sports betting and fantasy sports analysis from Seth, check out In-Between Media & follow him on X/Twitter @Between_SethFF.

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