Kyle Larson opens as favorite for Bristol night race
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 16, 2026
Early market
The Bristol night race is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and Kyle Larson opened as the betting favorite at +400. Denny Hamlin is next at +500, giving the two drivers the shortest prices in the early market for the NASCAR Cup Series race. Larson arrives with momentum after his win at Gateway, which ended a 51-race winless streak and gave him his first victory of the 2026 season. That result also trimmed Hamlin’s lead to nine points. Hamlin still sits atop the Chase standings, and he remains in the center of the title picture as Bristol approaches. The two drivers sit at the top of the early market, with Larson favored and Hamlin next. Bristol has been a strong track for Larson, who won the 2024 night race and has three victories there overall. He also has seven top-five finishes in his last eight Bristol starts, a run that helps explain why his odds opened at the top of the board. Larson’s spring race at Bristol also backed up that trend, as he finished third.
Hamlin at Bristol
Hamlin brings a strong Bristol record into the night race. He has four wins at the track and has finished ninth or better in eight of the last nine Bristol races. That kind of consistency keeps him in the hunt even with Larson closing the gap in the standings. Hamlin has also put together a strong season, with four wins and four poles. He enters Bristol trying to keep control of the Chase standings while Larson pushes from behind. The spring race at Bristol gave Hamlin another solid result. He was ninth in that race, which fits with his broader pattern at the track. Bristol has rewarded him with wins and steady top-10 finishes, and those results help make him one of the clearest threats to Larson on the betting board. The matchup at the top is simple. Larson brings his Gateway win and a strong Bristol stretch. Hamlin has four wins and four poles this season, along with a track record that keeps him near the top of the betting board.
Sleeper picks
The rest of the board gives Bristol more depth behind the two favorites. Chase Briscoe is listed as a sleeper pick and has four top-10 finishes in his last four Bristol starts, a run that shows he can stay in the mix at the track. Joey Logano is also listed as a sleeper pick, and his Bristol history gives him a clear case. He is a two-time Bristol winner and cut his deficit to 51 points after finishing third at Gateway. Brad Keselowski is listed as a longshot at +2800. He finished second in last year’s Bristol night race and is trying to end a winless drought that has lasted more than two years. The standings picture behind Hamlin also remains crowded. Christopher Bell was 18 points back in third after he was collected in a Lap 223 crash at Gateway. Ryan Blaney fell 33 points behind after a brake rotor failure at Gateway. Those gaps leave room for movement if Bristol shakes up the order. Larson leads the odds board, Hamlin leads the standings and the next group has enough track history and recent form to matter if either favorite slips.
