NASCAR Jack Link's 500 Sleeper Picks and Predictions — Talladega Superspeedway

Robert Criscola - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Robert Criscola • Betting Analyst 11+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 24, 2026 , 06:06 AM ET • 4 min read

See why Carson Hocevar tops Robert Criscola's sleeper selections and long shot picks for the Jack Link's 500.

NASCAR Cup Series Carson Hocevar
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar.

Talladega Superspeedway is known for producing chaotic results, so I've gone looking for some Jack Link's 500 sleeper picks for Sunday, April 26.

See why my free betting picks have identified Carson Hocevar as one of the best value bets in the NASCAR Cup Series odds.

Jack Link's 500 sleeper picks

  • Hocevar (+1400)
  • Gilliland (+4500)
  • Gragson (+4500)

Picks were made on 4-24.

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Jack Link's 500 sleeper predictions

Sleeper pick to win: Carson Hocevar
+1400 at DraftKings

Carson Hocevar is known as one of the most aggressive drivers in the Cup Series right now, and you need to live on the edge if you want to win at Talladega. 

Draft-style racing fits Hocevar like a hand in a glove, which explains why he's been sixth in back-to-back races at 'Dega.

In fact, Hocevar has been 10th or better in five of his last seven races at drafting tracks. Daytona, not Talladega, was responsible for the two misses. 

Sleeper pick to win: Todd Gilliland
+4500 at DraftKings

Believe it or not, Todd Gilliland is tops in average finishing position (13.1) at Talladega among full-time active drivers. His second-place result here last fall was his best finish to date at any course in the Cup Series.

Gilliland posted a robust 100 average rating during that race despite starting 27th, suggesting that he knows exactly how to slice and dice his way through the pack at drafting tracks.

Putting together cars with consistent speed has always been a challenge for Front Row Motorsports, but Gilliland has been in the hunt in recent weeks, highlighted by a sixth-place result at Bristol on April 12. 

Sleeper pick to win: Noah Gragson
+4500 at DraftKings

Noah Gragson has three Top 5s in his 120-race career, and all three came at superspeedways. Two of the three were earned right here at Talladega, with Gragson leading five laps en route to a third-place finish in April 2024, followed by a fourth in last April's race at this venue.

Gragson has only hit the Top 15 twice this year, but both came at drafting tracks (11th at Daytona, 14th at Atlanta). The No. 4 car could be in the picture late at a massive price.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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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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