NASCAR Shriners Children’s 500 Predictions, Expert Picks & Odds

• NASCAR Shriners Children’s 500 goes green this Sunday from Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
• Christopher Bell is the hot driver with two straight wins. Could Chase Briscoe snag a win in the Toyota?
• Below, see our NASCAR Shriner Children’s 500 predictions, expert picks, and odds.

The NASCAR Cup Series drives west into the Phoenix area for the fourth points event this Sunday, March 9th, with the NASCAR Shriners Chilfren’s 500. The green flag drops just before 4:00 pm EDT with live coverage on FOX Network.

The 1-mile track races with a few twists. This is a dogleg oval that allows for long runs of non-eventful racing. Now, this “flat” track races similarly to Gateway, New Hampshire, and Richmond. Let us take a look at some contenders, favorites, and more.

NASCAR Shriners Children’s 500 Odds

At +400 odds (7/2), the implied probability for favorites Christopher Bell stands at 20%. Kyle Larson roars in at 16.67% with William Byron lurking at 14.29%.

If you peaked up here for long shots, check out the tail end of this article.

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Odds as of Mar. 9 (post-qualifying at DraftKings Sportsbook. Register with the DraftKings promo code to wager on the Shriners Children’s 500. 

NASCAR Shriners Children’s 500 Predictions

Weather expects to be tranquil Sunday afternoon. Even better news lies in the fact that the wind will be minimal as temperates rise into the 75 to 80 degree range. Again, note that the sun will set an hour later which will create some different shadows than some drivers are used to. Another wrinkle will be the option tires from Goodyear. So far, the top names like Joey Logano and Kyle Larson seem to be okay with them.

Qualifying held some of its usual surprises. Chevy dominated to a point as William Byron won the pole, edging out Joey Logano by 0.092 seconds. The fun part in all of this was seeing the fastest Toyota. Yes, that was Erik Jones in the No. 43 car in fifth. After that, Tyler Reddick was 9th, Denny Hamlin in 10th, and Christopher Bell in 11th. Chase Briscoe wound up all the way down in 30th.

With 312 miles of racing (around 500 kilometers), this could be one of those races that gets decided late. Ford lately has run better here as the race has gone on. Have too many of those cars dug too much of a hole in qualifying?

Now, odds from before qualifying included Chase Briscoe at +1200. He is not +1200 anymore. Christopher Bell shortened from +500 to +400. Again, we are going for wins this week. Maybe it is the extra hour of sun gained. Either way, there are plenty of options and swings to take. Furthermore, what happens if we look toward the pole winner? Maybe not so much. Chris Buescher, for perspective, has the fourth best finish despite an average qualifying of 18.8. Buescher can run fast here late.

Again, pundits seem enamored with Chevy again. Even Kyle Larson has three Top 5’s in his past six races. Kyle Blaney has gone 6-for-6 in Top 5 results without a win here. Therefore, this is not easy but I like Chris Buescher in an upset to take the checkered flag at Phoenix Raceway.

• Bold Shot To Win: Chris Buescher (+3500 at DraftKings)

Additional NASCAR Shriners Children’s 500 Picks

Yes, this week is all about going in different directions. Ford was +200 as winning manufacturer for the race. Check to see if there is any movement with the numbers. The mere fact Chevy had more cars in the Top 10 may move the number. When it comes to NASCAR Shriners Children’s 500 picks, this race usually runs right around three hours. Overtime chances are a little less than 50%.

It is always a good idea to spread the bets around. Again, focusing just on winners this week is our strategy. We took our lumps last week with Chase Elliott but got a lucky live break with Christopher Bell. Joey Logano runs too well here and only shifted from +1200 to +900. The fear was he may get close to the favorites. I like him as another pick to take the top spot Sunday.

Again, watch for revised Top 3 and Top 5 odds. Be patient with Daylight Savings Time.

How about one more potential winner for the road? I lean on Chase Briscoe at +2500. He won his appeal and though he starts 30th, a surprise run through the field would not be shocking here.