Ready? Set? Here come some piping hot NASCAR picks.
The 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race is taking place this Sunday, April 9, at 7 p.m. EST. Like always, the race will be at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt in Bristol, Tennessee, and it will be the usual 250-lap, 125.5 mile course.
To no one's surprise, Kyle Larson (+550) enters as the odds-on favorite. He drove well in Bristol last year and is also coming off a victory at the Toyota Owners 400 last weekend. And yet, his victory is far from a given. The dirt element adds plenty of variables to this race, as we've seen in the past. That opens the door not only for other almost favorites like Tyler Reddick (+600) and Christopher Bell (+650), but it allows for longer shots to enter the fray. We need to approach our NASCAR picks accordingly.
Before we get to our predictions for the 2023 Food City Dirt Race, though, let's have a look at the latest online NASCAR betting odds for this field:
| Driver to Win |  |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +550 |
| Tyler Reddick | +600 |
| Christopher Bell | +650 |
| Chase Briscoe | +900 |
| Joey Logano | +1000 |
| William Byron | +1200 |
| Kyle Busch | +1400 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1600 |
| Ross Chastain | +1600 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1800 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +2000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +2500 |
| Alex Bowman | +2500 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +2500 |
| Brad Keselowski | +3000 |
| Chris Buescher | +3000 |
| Kevin Harvick | +4000 |
| Josh Berry | +4000 |
| Jonathan Davenport | +4000 |
| Bubba Wallace | +5000 |
| Ryan Preece | +5000 |
| Austin Dillon | +5000 |
| Ty Gibbs | +8000 |
| Todd Gilliland | +8000 |
| Ty Dillon | +8000 |
| Michael McDowell | +8000 |
| Justin Haley | +8000 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | +10000 |
| Austin Cindric | +15000 |
| Erik Jones | +15000 |
| Corey Lajoie | +20000 |
| Harrison Burton | +20000 |
| Aric Almirola | +20000 |
| Noah Gragson | +20000 |
| B.J. McLeod | +20000 |
| J.J. Yeley | +20000 |
| Cody Ware | +20000 |
Remember to double-check these NASCAR betting odds right up until you place your wager. Our 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race betting odds are accurate as of Thursday, April 6. That gives linemakers plenty of time to adjust their numbers based on the action. In fact, we have already seen movement at the top. Chase Briscoe opened at +1000 but has since moved to +900, for example. This speaks to how much action is being funneled toward non-favorites.
Of course, you needn't worry about any last minute changes to the odds on the 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race if you join up with the right bookie. That's why we've compiled reviews of all the top online sportsbooks. Our goal, as always, is to help you find the best online sports betting sites in the United States for 2023 and beyond.
Is Kyle Larson the best bet to win the 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race? Should you be looking at Tyler Reddick? Or Christopher Bell (+650)? Let's get to our NASCAR picks for Easter Sunday!
Kyle Larson is the Rightful Favorite for the 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race
Though being the odds-on favorite doesn't necessarily mean Larson will win, he has absolutely earned the benefit of the doubt. Indeed, some have been disappointed by his betting performance so far. Larson is second in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series standings, but the Toyota Owners 400 represented his first victory of the season. Many were hoping he would have two or three wins through the first seven races.
Still, it's not like Larson has struggled to hover around the top of the competitive landscape. He has three top-five finishes overall under his belt. More than anything, Larson has shown an affinity for handling well on the Bristol dirt track. It isn't considered as difficult relative to other courses of the same material, but the surface can significantly change how drivers are able to accelerate around hairpin turns and from the inside. So, yes, it's a big deal that his performance hasn't suffered on this course.
Don't Sleep on Christopher Bell When Making Your NASCAR Picks
With zero victories or pole finishes on the season, why is Bell laying the third best odds to win the 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race? Two reasons stand out to us.
First and foremost, Bell has proven himself before on mixed racing surfaces. The Bristol course is considered dirt, but the grip is considered more waxy, almost as if it's a cross between a hard surface and off-road course.
Equally important: Bell appears primed for a breakthrough. He may. not have any victories or pole positions, but he has four top-five placements through seven races. That is more than anyone else on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.
If not for a few later-lap snafus, we believe Bell would already have a concrete win to his name. There's a chance he gets his first one on Sunday.
Can William Byron Maintain His Lead Atop the NASCAR Cup Series Standings?
In a surprise turn of events, William Byron (+1200) has the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series standings through seven races. He is, to date, the only driver with two first-place finishes.
Oddsmakers don't appear to trust him in Bristol. We're not exactly sure why. Byron's track record on dirt surfaces isn't extensive, but he has bagged three top-five finishes and done a great job maintaining leads all year.
Are There Any Good Dark Horse NASCAR Picks in Bristol?
Bettors would do well to look at Kyle Busch (+1400). He actually opened at 12-to-1 odds only to see them tumble toward 14-to-1. We understand the skepticism. He hasn't enjoyed the best start to the year. But he is the reigning Food City Pay Dirt Race champion and knows how to preserve speed and handling on this track.
Now is also a good time to purchase stock on Martin Truex Jr. (+2500). Bettors and oddsmakers are down on him because he hasn't yet secured a single top-five finish. He's too talented for that to hold. The same goes for Kevin Harvick (+4000), who has seen his odds continuously shift in the wrong direction.
To that end, if you're going the dark-horse route with your NASCAR picks, we'd endorse Truex over anyone. This is someone we'd expect to end with multiple first-place finishes on the season, and he has to start somewhere. Why not in Bristol?
Official Prediction for 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race
And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for.
Our best bet to win the 2023 Food City Pay Dirt Race is...Christopher Bell (+650).
We have been too impressed with his driving through the first seven races to go against him. Kyle Larson (+550) always looms as a great option, but Bell has more consistently driven near the top of the field. More of his laps, in fact, have been spent inside the top three than anyone else on the circuit. That's a level of top-end driving we can't help but get behind.
OSB Prediction: Christopher Bell (+650)
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