NASCAR returns for the fourth race of the 2024 season as they head to Phoenix for the Shriners Children's 500, where the best drivers in the world will compete for points.
So far William Byron, Daniel Suarez and Kyle Larson have been victorious during the season but with such a long way to go the race for the championship is wide open.
We'll take a look at the big race this weekend and break down our favorites to be successful by providing our best free NASCAR betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash along the way.
| Shriners Children's 500 |  |  |  |
|---|
| Kyle Larson | +550 | +500 | +600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +650 | +600 | +700 |
| William Byron | +750 | +675 | +800 |
| Ross Chastain | +850 | +850 | +900 |
| Denny Hamlin | +900 | +850 | +1000 |
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NASCAR: Shriners Children's 500 information
- Sunday, March 10th 2024
- Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
- 312 laps, 312 miles
NASCAR: Shriners Children's 500 favorites
Below you'll find a list of favorites to win the NASCAR Shriners Children's 500.
Kyle Larson - (+600)
Phoenix didn’t used to be one of Larson’s better tracks but in recent years it has become one where he has shone.
Larson has five Top-5 finishes in his last eight starts there including being seventh and first, respectively, in 2021, 34th and ninth in 2022, and fourth and third a year ago. In this spring race, he was seventh and fifth in the pair of stages in 2022 but an engine fault meant that he failed to finish.
A year ago he started in pole position, led a race-high 201 laps in finishing second and first in the pair of stages and came away fourth. The thing is, while having nine Top-10 finishes in his last 10 Phoenix tries, Larson also has just one career win in 19 Phoenix starts in Cup as well.
At +600 there is solid value in backing him to win again especially considering his good form this season and the win last time out.
Kyle Larson
to win Shriners Children's 500
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Ryan Blaney - (+700)
Though Blaney is coming into this as the reigning 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, he hasn't had great success at this track throughout his career.
His only win on this track came in the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 in late August of that year, with an average finish of just 12.8 in eight races at this venue.
Blaney finished in second place in this race last season though, having finished the first stage in sixth place and the second stage in eighth place. He is still seeking his first top-10 finish this season, having so far accumulated an average finish of 12th place.
In terms of laps led, he has been leading for 43 laps. That places him sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series. It seems unlikely in his current form that he will be able to snap the hoodoo of this track, so this is one to avoid.
Ryan Blaney
to win Shriners Children's 500
William Byron - (+800)
The defending race winner with 64 laps led and stage finishes of first and second, respectively, in his March 2023 win.
He was on the pole and finished fourth last Fall after leading 95 of 312 laps. Byron has six Top-10 finishes in his last eight Phoenix races. When it comes to this season things aren't quite as good though.
Byron has earned 103 points in three starts (three DNFs) in 2024, leaving him in fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. When it comes to laps led, he ranks 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series, with 19 laps in first place.
He has produced an average finish of ninth place in 2024, and with his success on this track in the past it wouldn't be crazy for him to find success once again. At +800, he's well worth a look.
William Byron
to win Shriners Children's 500
Ross Chastain - (+900)
Chastain won the race last fall after leading 157 laps and finishing third and second, respectively, in the pair of stages. He had stage points in both stages last spring but had a late race run-in with Denny Hamlin that relegated him to a 24th-place result.
In 2022, Chastain finished second and third. He’s trending towards a win, going from 21st in the season-opening Daytona 500 to seventh in Atlanta to fourth last time out in Las Vegas.
Chastain continues to show great speed to open the year. Coming off of a well-earned fourth-place finish at Las Vegas, he heads to a track where he destroyed the field last fall. He’s been one of the best at Phoenix in the Next Gen carwith top-three finishes in all but one race since its introduction in 2022.
This is a great spot for Chastain to continue to deliver on consistency. At +900 there is some real value in that bet and he could well be victorious once again, so this is one to watch.
Ross Chastain
to win Shriners Children's 500
Denny Hamlin - (+1000)
A three-time Daytona 500 champ, Hamlin's a prolific superspeedway driver who went on a tear over last season's second half, only to fall just short of the Championship 4.
After getting off to slow starts each of the past two seasons, the experienced driver will be hungry to put points on the board early after finishing 19th, 23rd and then eighth in the first three races of the season.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has 12 Top-10 finishes in his last 16 starts in the desert, including an eighth-place run last Fall. However, with this Next Gen car, he’s only finished 13th, eighth, 23rd and eighth respectively with 14 laps led in this span. Prior, Hamlin had five Top-5 finishes in a six-race time range.
With just two wins in 37 attempts in Phoenix, this is a bet to pass up on.
Denny Hamlin
to win Shriners Children's 500
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