Expert prediction
Cook Out Southern 500 Picks, NASCAR Odds & Betting Preview (Sep 6)
Pick rationale
Analysis & key factors
- When: Sunday, September 6, 2026 @ 5:00 PM ET
- Where: Darlington Raceway, South Carolina, USA
- How to Watch: USA
The Cup Series Chase on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2026 gets underway on the first Sunday in September, as the pressure heats up when the Cook Out Southern 500 is staged at Darlington Raceway. This weekend’s race is also the final Crown Jewel race of 2026, adding further prestige for the potential winner. However, which driver could be best placed to kick off the Cup Series Chase with a victory in South Carolina? Find our Cook Out Southern 500 picks here.
Cook Out Southern 500 Odds
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | +450 |
| Tyler Reddick | +575 |
| Chase Briscoe | +575 |
| Kyle Larson | +875 |
| Christopher Bell | +1100 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1100 |
| William Byron | +1100 |
| Ty Gibbs | +1100 |
| Other Selections | +1800 & Bigger |
Cook Out Southern 500 Recent Winners
| Year | Winning Driver |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Chase Briscoe |
| 2024 | Chase Briscoe |
| 2023 | Kyle Larson |
| 2022 | Erik Jones |
| 2021 | Denny Hamlin |
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Event Preview
Action on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule picks up this weekend, as the opening race on the Cup Series Chase is scheduled for North Carolina. Darlington Raceway will host the Cook Out Southern 500, which is also the final Crown Jewel race of the 2026 season. This race was first staged on the NASCAR schedule in 1950, with the field completing a total of 367 laps to make up the 501.322-mile race distance.
Chase Briscoe will be an obvious contender this weekend after winning each of the last two editions of the Cook Out Southern 500. Briscoe has also been in reliable recent form, winning once in the previous four rounds. However, he will need to put a disappointing 34th-place finish in last week’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 behind him.
Denny Hamlin continues to set the pace in the Drivers’ Championship, finishing eleventh last weekend, meaning that he has now finished in the top 20 in each of the last eight rounds. Ryan Blaney has won twice in the previous eight rounds, but he was only a disappointing 33rd last weekend.
Tyler Reddick could hold interesting claims this week, following a return to form, finishing third in the Coke Zero Sugar 400. That finish was made even more important considering that no other driver in the top ten of the standings was able to finish in the top ten last weekend. Ryan Preece was the shock winner of the race last time out, with the victory securing his spot in the Series Chase.
Cook Out Southern 500 Picks
Tyler Reddick could be the interesting play this weekend after a fine return to form last weekend. Reddick has already won at Darlington Raceway in 2026, having landed the Goodyear 400 earlier in the campaign. The American has also finished in the top three of the Cook Out Southern 500 on three different occasions in the last four seasons.
Free Pick:
Nascar
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