The wait is over — NASCAR is back, we’ll sort of. The first race of the 2023 season is the Clash at the Coliseum on Sunday, February 5. It’s an exhibition so no Cup Series points are on the line. But the fact that it’s a preseason race doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t bet on it. In this article, we’ll give you the EXACT game plan for betting on the Clash at the Coliseum.
Who Is Racing At The 2023 Clash at the Coliseum?
One of the interesting aspects of the exhibition race is the competition field is unknown for now. NASCAR had a 23-driver field last year for the inaugural event, but it will now be 27 cars racing at the Clash. Who those 27 cars will end up being comes down to qualifying that weekend.
Qualifying will consist largely of four Heat races. Each of these Heat races will be 25 laps with only green flags counting. The top-5 finishers from each Heat race earn a spot in the Clash. Non-qualified drivers will be moved to a 50-lap Last Chance qualifiers, where six will advance to the Clash. The 27th and final spot is reserved for the unqualified driver who finished with the highest amount of points in 2022.
Despite the uncertainty of who qualifies where, the top online sportsbooks have released betting odds for the event. Here's the drivers most favored to take first place:
| Driver |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Logano | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Chase Elliott | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Kyle Larson | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Christopher Bell | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Kyle Busch | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| William Byron | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
Once again, the historic Los Angeles Coliseum plays host to the event — hence the Clash at the Coliseum moniker. Joey Logano won the first-ever race a year ago, which keyed his 2022 campaign that ended with a Cup Series championship. So as we said, being an exhibition doesn’t mean this event is a throwaway. There’s still a lot at stake, especially for you bettors.
Who To Bet To Win 2023 Clash at the Coliseum
The Clash isn’t your prototypical NASCAR race. Not just that it’s an exhibition, but more so the fact that it takes place on a fabricated race track and it’s a short track at that. Don’t expect to see much overtaking here. This has to be considered when betting on who will win the 2023 Clash.
Honestly, whoever wins the qualifying heat races has a massive — and we mean massive — advantage. Those heat winners will start the race up front, a position that will be hard to let up with passing being almost nonexistent at the track.
You could always wait until the heat races are finished to bet. But at the same time, by then, the odds will be short for those winners and you’ll be giving up betting value. For this reason, we’re placing bets now while the field is all +750 or above to win. That’s a sweet payoff if you can pick right. Here are two drivers we’re for sure backing financially:
Joey Logano
This one’s obvious, isn’t it? As we said earlier, Logano is the reigning everything going into this race. The reigning Clash winner. The reigning Cup Series champion. In fact, that title-clinching race came in Phoenix, a short and flat track that has some overlap with that of the Clash. Given all this recent success, you’d have to be crazy to not consider Logano here.
Christopher Bell
Welp, we’re taking another race co-favorite with our second bet. Before you get on us for taking the “easy way out”, there’s a reason why Bell is so regarded here: he’s arguably the best short track racer in the whole circuit.
After a successful Xfinity Series run, Bell has excelled on these types of tracks since joining the Cup Series in 2020. Last year, he got wins in New Hampshire and Martinsville — two tracks that require a lot of breaking akin to what awaits at the Coliseum. We’re betting on Bell’s proven short-track ability to shine here.
How To Watch 2023 Clash at the Coliseum?
If you’re in the United States, FOX is the exclusive place to watch the 2023 Clash at the Coliseum. Expect marathon coverage from the TV channel (and its FOX Sports app) that day. Here are a few times to mark on your calendar for race-day Sunday:
- 5 pm - 6 pm EST — qualifying heats (all four)
- 6:10 pm - 7 pm EST — last-chance qualifying
- 8 pm EST — Clash at the Coliseum race
How To Bet On 2023 Clash at the Coliseum?
Now that you know who to bet on to win the 2023 Clash at the Coliseum, the last price is the how — as in where to actually place the wager at. Well, we got you covered there too. Check out the underneath table that lists industry-leading bookies, per our latest sportsbook reviews. Any one of these sites could effectively become your one-stop shop to bet on NASCAR this whole season.
Obviously, we know the Super Bowl is also in a few weeks. So if you need some spare money to bet on the Clash AND Super Bowl, then we recommend taking a deep look at the best sportsbook bonuses currently available. Many of those are detailed in the table below. From these deals, you could earn hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play — which could bankroll your sports bets for the next month! Just use a supported deposit method to fund your account and you'll receive back the free play!
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