2025 Cook Out Clash: NASCAR at Bowman Gray Stadium Odds, Picks & Predictions
Between driver changes, crew chief swaps and rule adaptations, a lot’s changed over the NASCAR offseason. However, a lot has remained the same, specifically the mentality of all 36 chartered Cup Series drivers to win each and every week.
Bowman Gray Stadium - a quarter-mile asphalt track surrounding the Winston Salem University football field - is the new host of this year’s Clash, now sponsored by Cook Out. This track is engraved deep in the sports’ roots and is the closest thing there is to the track spun up at the Los Angeles Coliseum they’ve been running the past three seasons.
Just like that old jacket in the back of your closet, NASCAR betting is never going out of style. So, I’m back for another season of following the sport from a gambling perspective. Now equipped with the betting model we developed at In-Between Media, I’m more ready than ever to take advantage of the value sportsbooks offer in this niche market of NASCAR racing.
Let’s put it right to the fire with my best bets and full card for the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
2025 Cook Out Clash: NASCAR at Bowman Gray Stadium Odds, Picks & Predictions
Joey Logano (-115 via ESPN BET) vs. Christopher Bell | 3.5u
Joey Logano returns with a chip on his shoulder, ready to prove the haters wrong that he very much deserved his championship trophy last season. He rates our No. 1 in the model, and it’s no surprise why. He had the fifth-best Clash Next-Gen average finish (7.0) when it was run in Los Angeles. Last year specifically, the Connecticut native was second in green flag speed (65.3 mph), second in average position (2.5) and third in driver rating (103.2).
At the only other comp track, Martinsville, the three-time Cup Series champion, is sixth in ifantasyrace.com‘s Next-Gen total speed rankings (9.2) and 2024 average finish (8.0).
Meanwhile, Christopher Bell failed to qualify for the main event last season, pushing him down to 17th in the model. His ninth-best Clash Next-Gen average finish (10.5) and third-worst 2024 Martinsville average finish (28.4) also didn’t help his cause.
Overall, Lognao is 2-1 against Bell at the Clash and 5-1 against him at “The PaperClip” in the Next-Gen era. This line has since moved from -115 to -130 at ESPN BET and -120 at Caesars, signaling the money is coming in on the Team Penske No. 22 Ford Mustang driver. I would bet this - and heavily - all the way down to -140.
Both Top 5: Joey Logano & Ryan Blaney (+530 via ESPN BET) | 1u
If Logano doesn’t win this race, I suspect his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, who ranks fourth in the model, will. The 31-year-old’s 12.3 Clash Next-Gen average finish is nothing to write home about, but his 2024 performance was. Blaney used a provisional to get into the main event and - thanks to his third-fastest speed late in a run (65.0 mph) - made his way up to a third-place finish after starting out back.
Even more impressive is Blaney’s dominance at Martinsville, leading the field in the Next-Gen total speed rankings (5.2) and sitting third in 2024 average finish (3.0).
I don’t mind playing Logano (+150) or Blaney (+180) separately at their current T5 odds. However, I’ll opt for the higher payout for them both to do it.
Under 3.5 Fords in the Top 10 (-125 via Caesars) | 2.5u
While I’m high on two of the three Team Penske cars, I’m fading the rest of the manufacturer. The next-highest ponies in the projections are Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski at 11th and 12th, respectively. However, Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) tends to swing and miss on setups when coming to a new track for the first time. This was evident when both Keselowski and Chris Buescher failed to qualify for the inaugural 2022 Clash At The Coliseum main event.
Under 3.5 Fords to finish T10 cashed in two of the three races in Los Angeles. While four Fords finished T10 last year, Keselowski’s eighth-place finish did not reflect his 15.7 average running position. Aside from Logano or Blaney, the other Ford that finished T10 was Chase Briscoe, who is now running a Toyota.
Other than Logano and Blaney, expect Toyota and Chevy to fill out most of the top 10 on Sunday.
Other Cup Series Bets on My Card:
Joey Logano Outright (+900 via BetRivers) | 1.5u
Ryan Blaney Outright (+1000 via BetRivers) | 1u
Bubba Wallace T5 (+450 via ESPN BET) | .4u
Seth Woolcock is a featured writer and host at BettingPros. For more sports betting and fantasy sports analysis from Seth, check out In-Between Media & follow him on X/Twitter @Between_SethFF.