The west coast swing for the NASCAR Cup Series makes its way to the desert at Phoenix Raceway for its first of two races at NASCAR’s championship track.
Christopher Bell, the defending spring winner at Phoenix, rides back-to-back wins into this weekend, and we’re lucky enough to cash in on his +1,000 (bet $10, win $100) odds last weekend at Circuit of the Americas. On top of cashing in on Bell’s win, last week’s prop calls helped earn 34.1 units from COTA weekend.
This week, Bell settles in as the odds-on favorite with +500 odds on FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks, and with how good he has looked to start the year as well as his track record at Phoenix, you bet that I’ll be riding Bell’s momentum into Phoenix.
REPOST TO CONGRATULATE CHRISTOPHER BELL ON HIS WIN AT PHOENIX RACEWAY! pic.twitter.com/LoPydaNJqI
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 10, 2024
Ryan Blaney slots in behind Bell with +550 odds across the board. Blaney holds the best average finish in the Next Gen era at 2.8. If there’s anyone due to win at this track, it’s the 2023 Cup Series champion, but even if he doesn’t win, taking his +155 top three odds via FanDuel isn’t a bad idea to cover.
Another driver on a good streak to start the season is William Byron. He finished second behind Bell at COTA, and Byron is a former winner at spring Phoenix in 2023. Byron’s odds stand at +1,000 on FanDuel entering the weekend, a bargain worth taking for a recent winner of this event.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe is another driver and team to look out for in this race. The No. 19 team was very fast at this track with Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel, and Briscoe is the 2022 Phoenix spring winner. This team combination feels destined to do well at this track, and taking his +1,300 odds this weekend feels like a no-brainer.
Keep in mind, Goodyear is also bringing the option tire this weekend to test a softer compound. How will that play into other drivers’ favors or top three, five, or 10 props?
#NASCAR Cup teams will have both "Prime" and "Option" tires to use at Phoenix. The Prime tire set-up is the same used at this track last November, while the Option tire was run at both North Wilkesboro and Richmond in 2024. pic.twitter.com/fGFX1h6eYN
— Goodyear Racing (@GoodyearRacing) March 7, 2025
Kevin Nix, Frontstretch‘s reporter this weekend at Phoenix, joins the show to give his analysis of the one-mile dogleg oval.
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Wyatt Watson has followed motorsports closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretch as a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt is one of Frontstretch's primary IndyCar correspondents, providing exclusive video content on site. He hosts Frontstretch's Through the Gears podcast and occasionally The Pit Straight.You can find Wyatt's written work in columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monsteras well as exclusive IndyCar features. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media team, posting unique and engaging content for Frontstretch.
Wyatt Watson can be found on X @WyattWRacing