- What: Shriners Children's 500
- When: Sunday, March 10th
- Where: Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the home of the final playoff race every season. The Shriners Children's 500 will take place on Sunday, March 10th at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event will get started at 3:30 PM ET. Kyle Larson won last weekend in Las Vegas at the Pennzoil 400 and that has him as the favorite here at +550 odds. William Byron and Ryan Blaney both sit at +700, while Ross Chastain is at +900. Denny Hamlin (+1000), Christopher Bell (+1000), and Martin Truex Jr (+1000) are all expected to be in the mix in the desert, too. Continue reading for the Shriners Children's 500 picks.
Before we get into the analysis, odds, and predictions for this race, check out our how-to bet on NASCAR page.
Shriners Children's 500 Odds
| Driver |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +550 | +600 | +500 |
| William Byron | +700 | +800 | +650 |
| Ryan Blaney | +700 | +650 | +600 |
| Ross Chastain | +900 | +900 | +750 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1000 | +1100 | +850 |
| Christopher Bell | +1100 | +1100 | +1000 |
| Martin Truex Jr | +1000 | +1100 | +1000 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1200 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Kyle Busch | +1200 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Joey Logano | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
William Byron is the defending champion at the Shriners Children's 500. This race has been around since 2005. It's 312 miles in total, with 60 laps in stage one, 125 in stage two, and 127 in stage three. Kevin Harvick has the most wins at this event.
Kyle Larson (+550)
Larson is coming off a dominant performance in Las Vegas where he won every single stage, cruising to his first victory of the season. Phoenix also happens to be a track where Larson thrives, finishing better than ninth in every race since spring of 2021. Remember, he also won the Cup Series Championship that year in the desert. In last year's two races in Phoenix, he was fourth and third, respectively. The overall picture isn't great, though. In 19 career starts, Larson has just the one victory at Phoenix. Could he really win a second race in a row? It's possible. He will definitely be in the mix if nothing else.
William Byron (+700)
Byron was 10th last time out in Sin City and as previously mentioned, won this race in 23', leading for 64 total laps. In his last eight appearances in Phoenix, Byron has finished in the top-10 on six occasions. Definitely respectable. So far this year, Byron won Daytona 500 then came in 17 in Atlanta before the respectable showing in Vegas. He's fourth in the Cup Series standings, but it's too early to make anything of that. The fact that Byron won the Shriners Children's 500 a year ago is enough to at least give him a look on Sunday. It's a track where Byron has some confidence.
Ryan Blaney (+700)
Alright, maybe Blaney won't win in Phoenix. But boy, does he have a track record of success here. Blaney has finished in the top-10 on 10 occasions in his 16 career starts in the desert. He's been in the top-10 in seven straight appearances here, too. Blaney is off to a respectable start this season as well. While Daytona 500 saw him finish in 30th, he was third in Atlanta before finishing as runner-up to Larson in Las Vegas. He's also been runner-up in three consecutive outings in Phoenix. Enough reason for a Blaney bet? I'd say so.
Ross Chastain (+900)
Chastain appears to be trending in the right direction. He was 21st at Daytona, seventh in Atlanta, and fourth in Vegas. See a pattern? He could be on track for a win at Phoenix where he was in top spot last fall. He was also in the mix in the spring race but a late run-in with Denny Hamlin resulted in him finishing way back in 24th. Chastain is in sixth place in the Cup Series standings at the moment. He's usually in contention in Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin (+1000)
Hamlin does have a nice track record of top-10 finishes in Phoenix but his Next Gen Car hasn't exactly produced the best results. He was eighth in Las Vegas after finishing in 23rd and 19th in Atlanta and at Daytona 500. Hamlin needs a good result here in order to shoot his way up the standings. He has two career wins at Phoenix but that's in over 30 appearances.
Shriners Children's 500 Picks
There are a couple of bets we'll take a look at here. I really like Ryan Blaney for a top-five finish at +110 odds. Feels like a valuable bet given his form in Phoenix. I'm also going with Larson for a top-three finish after a strong outing in Vegas.
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