It’s crown jewel week! After a successful return to North Wilkesboro Speedway last week, NASCAR heads to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The 2.5-mile oval track is home of the famed Indianapolis 500. In 1994, NASCAR ran here for the first time in the Brickyard 400, with the race immediately becoming a Singh after crown jewel. Simply for the fact it’s at the hallowed IndyCar grounds. The race took a pause from 2021-2023, but returned in 2024. Let’s dive in and look at this week’s NASCAR picks, odds, and best bets for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bubba Wallace is the reigning Brickyard 400 champion, winning the race in 2025. Kyle Larson was victorious in the return to the Brickyard in 2024. NASCAR has a week off next week, with all three of its top series taking a week off before the grueling runs to the Chase in each respective series. Five Cup Series races remain before the Chase begins. Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney have all locked up spots in the 2026 Chase. Ryan Blaney and Todd Gilliland will face off this week in the In-Season Challenge finals. The better finisher of the two drivers takes home a cool one million dollars.
Odds to Win Brickyard 400
Denny Hamlin +400
Kyle Larson +500
Christopher Bell +750
Tyler Reddick +800
Ryan Blaney +1000
Chase Briscoe +1400
Chase Elliott +1400
William Byron +1400
Bubba Wallace +1600
Carson Hocevar +1600
Ty Gibbs +1600
Joey Logano +2000
Chris Buescher +2500
Brad Keselowski +4000
Erik Jones +4000
Corey Heim +5000
Alex Bowman +6500
Austin Cindric +6500
Ross Chastain +6500
Daniel Suarez +8000
Ryan Preece +8000
Ryan Preece +8000
John Hunter Nemechek +10000
Shane Van Gisbergen +10000
Josh Berry +15000
Austin Dillon +20000
Connor Zilisch +20000
Riley Herbst +25000
Zane Smith +25000
Austin Hill +50000
Noah Gragson +50000
Ricky Stenhouse +50000
Todd Gilliland +50000
Cole Custer +75000
Ty Dillon +75000
Casey Mears +100000
Cody Ware +100000
Daniel Dye +100000
NASCAR Picks, Odds, and Best Bets: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin Top 3 (+110)
The math here is simple. I just couldn’t pass up Denny Hamlin. Hamlin has been the class of the field in 2026 at intermediate tracks. He finished third at Chicago a few weeks ago, but won three intermediate races in a row at Nashville, Michigan, and Pocono before that. He finished third at Charlotte, second at Texas, fourth at Kansas, and won Las Vegas. On every single similar-style track, Hamlin has finished top four. He consistently, without missing a beat at every 1.5-mile or larger intermediate track, has delivered results.
Ty Gibbs Top 10 (-110)
The books continue to disrespect my guy Ty Gibbs, and I am thankful for it. We played him at a similar number last week, and he had the best car early on, hands down. A speeding penalty set him back, but that didn’t stop the youngster. Gibbs got after it, drove back through the field, and still scored a top five finish. He is on the verge of clinching his spot in the Chase this weekend, as he enters Indianapolis fourth in the standings. Gibbs has four top 10 finishes in a row, five in the last six races, and 14 top 10 finishes over the last 20 races.
Denny Hamlin to Win (+400)
I went back and forth on who to pick near the top of the board this week. Hamlin’s driver Tyler Reddick got strong consideration, but ultimately, all the stats above once again drove me back to Hamlin. He’s simply been the class of the field in 2026 at intermediate tracks. Hamlin has been very public about 2027 being his final full-time season, and the Brickyard is a race he’s been close to before, but has yet to win, at least as a driver. My friends at Win The Race ran 200k simulations of the 2026 Brickyard 400; Hamlin is top dog, winning 19.2% of those races. This is the week this future Hall-of-Famer checks another crown jewel off the bucket list.
Fueled by WIN THE RACE‘s Professional NASCAR Strategy Platform
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