North Wilkesboro All-Star Race Odds: Picks, Predictions & More for Sunday

The NASCAR All-Star Race is back, and this year it’s bringing the heat. North Wilkesboro’s returning for a second straight non-points date on the annual calendar with a fresh new coat of asphalt and brand-new tire options. This throws a big question at how the NextGen cars will handle and how the tires will wear with the only data point in almost four decades, emerging from its return to the Cup Series just last year. Regardless. Experts are deep in the works at trying to predict exactly how the 2024 All-Star race will play out on Sunday.

From last year’s race winner, Kyle Larson, defending his NWS crown to an unexpected fan-voted entrant eyeing the twenty-man field from afar, many storylines have emerged at North Wilkesboro this year. But a good story only comes to fruition based on its climax. So, who are the oddsmakers predicting to win this year’s race at the freshly repaved North Wilkesboro?

Who will shine bright in the 2024 All-Star Race?

Right off the bat, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is being touted collectively by various experts as the favorite for an All-Star victory since his last in 2015. The #11 currently stands at a 21-4 odds/+500 favorite for those looking for the safest bet on Sunday. But experts like CBS Sports’ NASCAR writer Steven Taranto are speculating that Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott is a dark horse contender at a 10-1 chance. The #9 has been on fire lately, with five top-five finishes in his last seven points-paying races.

Additionally, Elliott’s done well in the All-Star Race before, even winning it in his championship-winning year of 2020 at Bristol. Surprisingly, Taranto seems unconvinced about his teammate Larson due to the brand-new track surface posing new challenges for last year’s winner. The three-time All-Star Race winner is looking to make it four in a row, with one major hitch: Larson will miss the heat races due to his pursuit of Indy 500 glory, with Kevin Harvick taking over the #5 Chevy’s wheel for qualifying at North Wilkesboro.

Steve Letarte’s betting podcast partner, Alex Timms, likes this unconventional story and thinks Larson will put on a show in his comeback. The #5 driver’s odds are currently at 9-1, but Timms suggests waiting until Harvick’s qualifying to see if the betting chances get even better.

Goodyear’s guinea pigs aim to upset North Wilkesboro

Even William Byron is predicted to have a decent shot at winning the All-Star Race, with oddsmakers placing him at 25-4, which means a potential $250 payout for a $100 bet. While the #24 driver has yet to claim All-Star race winner status,  two top-10 finishes in his five previous starts paint a promising picture for one of three hat-trick winners this season. Coupled with Byron’s experience on the repaved surface owing to his participation in the Goodyear track test earlier in March, he could very well be Wilkesboro’s newest non-points champion.

Ford Performance’s only tire-test representative, Joey Logano, sits at mid-range 19-2 odds for another Blue Oval victory following points-paying Darlington. The #22 has won the All-Star race at Charlotte in 2016 and has consistently finished in the top 10 at short tracks this season.

Meanwhile, Goodyear’s final NWS trialist, Toyota young gun Ty Gibbs, who hasn’t even qualified yet, boasts surprisingly high odds at +225 to win the All-Star Open, which would grant him entry to the main race. Experts cautiously predict the #54’s early-season promise will translate into a debut Cup Series win at North Wilkesboro, but he will first battle nineteen other drivers to qualify on Saturday.

Don’t count out these longshots

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The beauty of the All-Star Race is that anyone can win. But more often than not, the top-10 points leaders in the Cup Series table typically win the non-points exhibition event. Hence, don’t sleep on drivers like Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr, or the season’s latest victor, Brad Keselowski, all sitting at 10-1 odds for a victory on Sunday. Beyond the big names, some experts see the potential for payday in a few overlooked drivers.

For example, Alex Bowman (+700 on DraftKings Sportsbook) has quietly been one of the most consistent Cup Series wheelmen this year, trailing only Ty Gibbs in the points standings among those not yet in the main race. Additionally, historically strong short-track performers like Kyle Busch (18-1) and Ross Chastain (20-1) could also surprise everyone with an inaugural 2024 triumph at North Wilkesboro.

It’s truly anyone’s guess who wins this year. The new repave and three-tire options make predictions tricky, to say the least. Will Denny Hamlin conquer the new North Wilkesboro? Can Kyle Larson pull off a miraculous comeback from the brickyard? Will his popular teammate Chase Elliott sneak in a much-deserved victory on Sunday? One thing’s for sure, however: with a million bucks on the line, this All-Star Race promises to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller.