NASCAR at LA 2022: The Clash Odds, Sleepers and Predictions

Every year, the NASCAR Cup Series season begins with an exhibition race known as The Clash. It's an exciting way for the sport to come back from the offseason and generate hype in February before the Daytona 500 arrives later in the month and the season truly gets underway.

This year, The Clash is going to be like none before it. Because instead of taking place at Daytona International Speedway (the site from 1979-2001), the event is heading to a unique venue in Los Angeles.

For the first time, NASCAR will be holding a race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a stadium that has primarily hosted football since opening in 1923. A 0.25-mile short track has been constructed inside the stadium, setting the stage for what should be an entertaining non-points race on Sunday.

There will be a ton of action before an inaugural winner is crowned. Sunday will begin with four 25-lap heat races, each featuring up to 10 drivers. The top four finishers from each will advance to the main event. Those who don't advance will be placed in one of the two 50-lap last-chance qualifying races, with the top three finishers in those moving on to the main event.

The main event will be a 150-lap race featuring 23 drivers. The final spot will go to the driver who finished highest in the 2021 Cup Series points standings and didn't previous qualify.

Here's everything else you need to know prior to The Clash on Sunday.

Denny Hamlin: +600 (bet $100 to win $600)

Martin Truex Jr.: +600

Chase Elliott: +650

Kyle Larson: +700

Joey Logano: +750

Kyle Busch: +800

Ryan Blaney: +1200

William Byron: +1400

Kevin Harvick: +1800

Brad Keselowski: +1800

Alex Bowman: +1800

Christopher Bell: +2000

Kurt Busch: +2500

Complete list of odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook.

It's clear who the top drivers in the Cup Series currently are, and it's unsurprising that many of them have the best odds to open 2022 with a win at The Clash. But this is going to be an unpredictable event, so perhaps a sleeper could emerge as the victor on this short track.

Another reason this race could feature a surprise winner is because this will be the debut of NASCAR's Next Generation car. While there has been testing for it, it's unknown how this car will race in a competitive setting, especially in one as unusual as this quarter-mile asphalt oval.

So it's quite possible that a sleeper pick ends up taking the checkered flag. But who could that be?

Tyler Reddick may be a driver who benefits from how the Next Generation car handles. According to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, Reddick was "willing to see the limits of the Next Gen car" at a test session in Charlotte in December, and he may be able to drive up high (perhaps even against the wall) without facing severe repercussions.

Maybe Reddick will ride the high line at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and show exactly what this Next Generation car is capable of up there by emerging as the victor, despite being a bit of a longshot (odds of +4000). It would be a strong start to the year for him as he enters 2022 still seeking his first Cup Series win.

Austin Dillon, Reddick's Richard Childress Racing teammate, could also be a sleeper to watch in The Clash. He's had some success at short tracks, especially Richmond (one top-five finish and three top 10s in five races), and he could potentially be in the mix in Los Angeles, where he has +8000 odds to win.

If you're looking to bet on an even bigger longshot, consider Bubba Wallace (+10000). He notched his first Cup Series victory in 2021, and 23XI Racing (co-owned by Michael Jordan) should only keep getting better. Perhaps Wallace sets the tone for the team for 2022 by getting to Victory Lane at The Clash.

While the sleepers may contend for the win at The Clash, it'll be hard to pick against the Cup Series favorites. And it should be clear who will likely be battling for the victory when it gets late in the main event on Sunday.

Kyle Larson won 10 races en route to his first Cup Series championship in 2021, and he finished in the top 10 in 26 of 36 races. Expect him and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (fourth in last year's standings) to end up near the front of the field in The Clash.

Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have the best odds to win the race, which isn't a surprise. Hamlin excels in these types of races, as he finished in the top 10 in four of the five events at short tracks in 2021. Truex finished seventh or better in each of those five short-track races, notching a pair of victories (one at Martinsville and one at Richmond).

Another driver who has fared well at short tracks in recent years is Kyle Busch. And while any of the aforementioned drivers could end up racing to victory at The Clash, the prediction here is that it will be the No. 18 Toyota taking the checkered flag in Los Angeles.

Busch, who has 16 career wins at short tracks, got off to a bit of a slow start in 2021, when he ended up with two victories and finished ninth in the standings. What better way to get 2022 off to a strong start than to become the first driver to notch a win at this new version of The Clash?

It should be a competitive race, and truly anything could happen with so many variables. But Busch will outlast the other top favorites to emerge victorious at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Prediction: Kyle Busch wins The Clash

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