NASCAR Cup Series promises another exciting evening of racing with the 2022 NASCAR All-Star race, slated for Sunday, May 22, at the world-renowned Texas Motor Speedway. Known as the event that is hard to predict, the 2022 NASCAR All-Star race is a race no fan should miss, nor should it be overlooked by sports bettors.
In this betting preview, we take a closer look at the All-Star event and provide you with our picks and predictions, with the best NASCAR odds courtesy of the top-rated NASCAR betting site. But first, let’s touch on the qualifiers.
The top eight cars in the regular single-lap qualifiers will be placed into an eight-driver bracket, with the drivers then lining up on the pit road, similar to what you could see in a drag race. The first driver that goes around the track and back to the start line then advances into the next round. Basically, the All-Star Race is a NASCAR version of a drag race but a bit longer.
With that out of the way, let’s check our top NASCAR picks for one of the most exciting races on the NASCAR 2022 schedule!
All-Star Race Betting Picks
Kyle Busch
In the NASCAR All-Star race, the speed of the drivers is just as important as the speed of the pit crew. So it makes sense to look at Kyle Busch, whose pit crew is the fastest in the Cup Series. This alone makes Busch one of the favorites, but let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
Busch’s average pit stop is just 12.9 seconds (the best in the Cup Series), but that figure becomes even more impressive if we check the speed in the last three races. Over that stretch, Buch’s average pit stop times were just 10.7, 10.6, and 11.7.
Besides that, we must also note that Busch has been in great form this season. He currently sits in the third spot in the standings with 417 points, with one victory, four top-5s, and nine top-10s.
Admittedly, Busch’s results are not the most impressive, but knowing how important the pit crew’s speed is for the All-Star race, it’s hard to ignore him as one of the drivers to watch.
Kyle Larson
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson, hasn’t had the best start to the 2022 season. He is currently ranked ninth in the standings, but he has won one race at the start of the season (California).
Since then, he has collected five top-5s and seven top-10s. That includes a runner-up finish at Kansas last time out, which might suggest that Larson has found his stride.
But even though we can only speculate about whether Larson has woken up from his slumber and is ready to launch an attack on the Cup Series title, we know one thing – Kyle Larson is one of the most versatile and adaptable drivers in the world.
Throughout his career, Larson has never shied away from racing any car, on any surface, and under any rules, making him a driver that is bound to deliver in any circumstances. This works in his favor this weekend, knowing that the All-Star race uses an entirely new set of rules.
But you don’t have to trust our word for it. Larson has already won the All-Star race twice. Moreover, he has a swift pit crew and checks all the marks of a potential winner.
Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell is one of the underdogs to win the 2022 NASCAR All-Star race, and that’s fair. But that doesn’t mean he can’t do it.
On the contrary, Bell has all the tools he needs to come out on top in Texas, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him do it. He works with a very fast JGR pit crew and has been showing solid form throughout the season.
Even though he is only 10th in the standings, Bell has two top-5s and seven top-10s, three from his last three starts. Most notably, Bell drove well at Talladega and in Las Vegas, so he should be set to post solid results in Texas.
All-Star Race Betting Trends
- Jimmie Johnson is the winningest driver of the All-Star race, with four titles to his name, followed by Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt with three apiece.
- The 2022 All-Star race will mark only the second time it will happen at Texas Motor Speedway.
- Hendricks Motorsports won the last two All-Star races and is the winningest team (10 titles)
- Chevrolet won the last three All-Star races and is now at 20 wins, ahead of Ford (12), Dodge (2), and Toyota (2).
- Since 2020, the driver who won the All-Star race also won the Cup Series title.
All-Star Race Betting Predictions
Kyle Larson is an easy choice as the smartest of the NASCAR picks you can make for the All-Star race. He also offers solid value at around +450 to finish on the pole.
The whole format of the race is a bit chaotic and confusing, but we know that the pit crew speed will be critical because every driver will go through a four-tire stop against someone else and then race back to the pit road to determine which driver moves on.
Knowing that it makes a lot of sense to back Larson, who has a very solid pit crew. Perhaps not as fast as that of Kyle Busch, but Larson’s pit crew has been one of the most consistent in the Cup Series and should get everything tight in ample time to give Larson a chance to defend his All-Star title.
Prediction: Kyle Larson to win All-Star Race
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.