It’s time for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway. And, as could be predicted, NASCAR has made a whole new set of rules that will govern the race. For some reason, this event is where NASCAR officials seem to try all of their wacky ideas. And, it’s a way to ensure fans have something to talk about before and after the race.

More on the rules below, but one thing that has not changed when it comes to overall picks for a race is who the favorites are. The list is topped by Kyle Larson who has clicked off two back-to-back wins giving him three on the season. Larson comes into the race weekend at +333 with the next driver being Chase Elliott at +750.

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So, despite the fun tinkering of the rules, oddsmakers seem to think that the regulars will once again rise to the top. On the other hand, this is race weekend with a limited number of drivers in the “show” so there may be some value down the favorites list.

It needs to be pointed out that there is also the All-Star Open which is a qualifying race before the main event. This is a last chance three-segment shootout that will send two additional drivers into the All-Star field. The winners of the fan vote will also move into the main All-Star Race.

Note that current sports betting odds are for drivers that have already qualified for the main All-Star Race and do not include the Open drivers or Fan Vote drivers. Here are the favorite drivers through +800 to win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race outright according to Intertops.

Kyle Larson +333

Chase Elliott +750

Kyle Busch +800

Denny Hamlin +800

Martin Truex Jr +800

NASCAR Betting Guide

2021 Cup Series All-Star Race Preview

Date: Two All-Star Events – Sunday, June 13, 2021.

All-Star Open: 6:00 pm EST

All-Star Race: 8:00 pm EST

Track: Texas Motor Speedway

Type: Oval, asphalt, 1.44 miles

Race Distance: All-Star format below

Defending All-Star Race Winner: Chase Elliott

TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN

NASCAR Handicapping Tips

This is the first time that the All-Star Race has been held at Texas Motor Speedway and NASCAR has rolled out the red carpet of fun ideas to make it interesting! So much so that a small warning needs to be made – this is not your regular race where they go around and around from start to finish.

This event includes the best rules from hometown weekend race tracks across the country! That even includes inverting the field! Here are the basics of this Sunday’s All-Star Race.

-100 total laps divided into six rounds. With rounds 1 – 4 being 15 laps each, Round 5 will be 30 laps. Round 6 is 10-laps.

-Lap total will only include green-flag laps, not caution laps

-Round 5 will include a mandatory four-tire pit stop.

-The starting lineup was set by a random draw.

-The field will be inverted with a random draw during Round 2 – spots 8th – 12th.

-The entire field will be inverted during round 3.

-Round 4 will include another field flip like Round 2.

-The starting line-up for Round 5 will be set by drivers’ “cumulative finishes through the first four rounds. The driver with the best cumulative finish will start first, while the driver with the worst cumulative finish will start last. If there is a need for a tiebreaker, it will be determined in this order: Most All-Star Race wins, most career Cup Series race wins, and then-current driver standings.”

-Lastly, the final round’s starting grid will be set by driver finish in Round 5.

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2021 NASCAR All-Star Race Predictions

Kyle Larson +333

Kyle Larson is the hot driver heading into this weekend. He’s coming off back-to-back wins with three on the season. He’s also great on 1.5-mile speedways! Three of his nine Cup Series wins have come on them with 66 top-ten finishes. If Larson can stay towards the front he may be a lock. The one issue is that this race is not set up for long green flag runs which Larson has excelled at this season.

Joey Logano +1600

Granted, the All-Star Race is a completely different animal than a normal race weekend. But, since this is the first time we’ve raced the All-Star event at Texas, past stats offer some fantastic insight on how each driver fares at the Fort Worth facility. Over the last ten races at Texas Joey Logano has nine top-ten finishes with a start/finish average of 8.9 to 5.8. Logano has a win this season and his team seems to be great on short runs this year.

Ryan Blaney +1200

Ryan Blaney is a possible value pick at +1200 in a race with a limited field. Blaney has a win on a 1.5-mile track with 20 top-ten runs six of which came at Texas. Currently, he’s 8th in Cup Series points with a 2021 win which came at Atlanta which is a 1.5-mile track.

Others to Consider: Kyle Busch (+800) has three Texas wins in his last ten visits to the track. He has been more consistent as of late as well. Alex Bowman is a value pick at +1400. Bowman has raced at Texas in Hendrick equipment seven times and has finished five of those inside the top-twenty including two 5th place finishes in his last two Texas races.

2021 NASCAR All-Star Race Odds

Kyle Larson +333

Chase Elliott +750

Kyle Busch +800

Denny Hamlin +800

Martin Truex Jr +800

Joey Logano +1000

Kevin Harvick +1200

Ryan Blaney +1200

Brad Keselowski +1400

Alex Bowman +1400

William Byron +1400

Austin Dillon +2200

Christopher Bell +2500

Kurt Busch +3300

Michael McDowell +5000

Cole Custer +6600

Ryan Newman +6600

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