NASCAR Goodyear 400 Predictions, Odds & Picks — Darlington Raceway

Robert Criscola - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Robert Criscola • Betting Analyst 11+ years betting experience
Updated: Mar 18, 2026 , 12:08 PM ET • 4 min read

Check out our picks and predictions for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway!

Bubba Wallace NASCAR Cup Series
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Bubba Wallace (23) during the Pennzoil 400.

🏁Goodyear 400: Key takeaways

  • Best pre-qualifying bet: William Byron (+900) — had the dominant car in last year's race but got caught late.
  • Best pre-qualifying value: Bubba Wallace (+2500) — has never won here but typically has more speed at Darlington than the line suggests.
  • Track: Veteran experience typically prevails at "The Track Too Tough to Tame."
  • Weather: Hot and sunny with clear skies.

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Goodyear 400 odds: favorites & full field

The 2026 Goodyear 400 runs at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1. Below are the latest outright odds, followed by the picks and market-by-market best bets we like this week.

Driver DraftKings
Denny Hamlin +550
Kyle Larson +600
Tyler Reddick +650
Chase Briscoe +700
Christopher Bell +900
William Byron +900
Ryan Blaney +900
Chase Elliott +1400
Joey Logano +1800
Ross Chastain +2000
Bubba Wallace +2500
Chris Buescher +2500
Ty Gibbs +3000
Brad Keselowski +3000
Kyle Busch +3000
Carson Hocevar +4000
Erik Jones +5000
Ryan Preece +6000
Connor Zilisch +6500
Josh Berry +6500

Odds as of 3-18.

Check out the full Goodyear 400 field here.


Best bets card (updated Wednesday)

  • Outright: William Byron (+900) — in good form, he can make amends for falling apart late in last year's Goodyear 400.
  • Outright: Bubba Wallace (+2500) — his hot start to 2026 continues to fly under the radar.

Who's hot? Who's not?

  • 🔥 Denny Hamlin — he's improved his finish every week, capped by a win.
  • 🔥 Bubba Wallace — picked up his fourth Top 10 through five races.
  • ❄️ Kyle Busch — has yet to hit the Top 10 in 2026.
  • ❄️ Josh Berry — finished 26th or worse four straight times.

Track breakdown: What wins at Darlington Raceway?

  • Darlington's asymmetrical turns present a challenge for teams trying to find the right balance for the cars.
  • Darlington's highly abrasive surface rewards veterans who know how to manage tire wear.

Key stats & driver profiles to target

  • Six different drivers have won the Goodyear 400 since 2020, at an average age of 37.7 years old.
  • There are four active multi-race winners in the field.

Drivers to watch

  • Denny Hamlin — the defending race winner and last Sunday's victor.
  • Erik Jones — two of his three lifetime wins have come here, the last in 2022.

Odds movement & market notes

  • Denny Hamlin (+550) and Kyle Larson (+600) are no strangers to the top of the early betting board, and they sit 1-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
  • Tyler Reddick (+650) and Chase Briscoe (+700) are much lower than usual, but this makes sense given their recent successes at Darlington.
  • Bubba Wallace (+2500) has the third-best average starting position at Darlington since 2023. I anticipate his odds dropping post-qualifying.

Outright picks: Winners to bet

Pick 1: William Byron to win (+900)

Byron had the dominant car here in 2025, yet finished second.

  • Track Fit: He won the 2023 Goodyear 400.
  • Recent Form: Building momentum with a seventh and a third in successive weeks.
  • Market Value: A fair price as the co-fifth choice.

Risk: Chevrolets have yet to win a Cup Series race in 2026.

Pick 2: Bubba Wallace to win (+2500)

Wallace can build on a brilliant start for Toyota.

  • Track Fit: Five Top 10s in his last seven starts here.
  • Recent Form: No worse than 11th in the first five races of 2026.
  • Market Value: His trailing Logano, Chastain is insane when comparing statistics.

Risk: He's only ever won three races in the Cup Series.


How to watch the Goodyear 400

Location: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026
Start time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1

Check out the full weekend schedule for the 2026 Goodyear 400.


Darlington Raceway weather

Bright and sunny conditions are expected for the Goodyear 400. The high temperature is expected to be 85F with 13 mph winds.


Previous Goodyear 400 winners

Year Winner Manufacturer
2025 Denny Hamlin Toyota
2024 Brad Keselowski Ford
2023 William Byron Chevrolet
2022 Joey Logano Ford
2021 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota

Goodyear 400 betting FAQ

When is the 2026 Goodyear 400?

The Goodyear 400 will be held at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 22.

Where will the 2026 Goodyear 400 be held?

Darlington Raceway is the site for the 2026 Goodyear 400

Who is the 2026 Goodyear 400 favorite?

Denny Hamlin is the +550 favorite to win the Goodyear 400.

Who won the 2026 Goodyear 400 last year?

Denny Hamlin won the Goodyear 400 in 2025.

How do Goodyear 400 prop bets work?

There are various NASCAR prop bets to consider for the Goodyear 400, including head-to-head matchups, and wagers on drivers to finish in the Top 3, Top 5, or Top 10.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Robert Criscola - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Robert M. Criscola’s road to becoming a Covers publishing editor began with an internship at Metro New York, which eventually turned into a freelance job at MetroBet covering many sports from a wagering angle, including horse racing. He continued to focus on “The Sport of Kings” by writing for shapperdacapper.com, danonymousracing.com, and informer.fanxt.com before joining the team at the TwinSpires Edge in 2019 as a regular contributor and weekend editor. “Crisco” began writing game previews for Covers in 2022 and joined the editing team in 2023.

His best advice for sports bettors? Bet with your head, not over it.

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