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- What: Straight Talk Wireless 500
- When: Sunday, March 8th, 2026
- Where: Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona
Can Tyler Reddick make history with his fourth straight win to start the season? The 23XI Racing driver has won every race so far this season.
The 2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500 will be the fourth race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. The 312-lap race will field 37 drivers at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Phoenix Raceway is a one-mile oval with low banking throughout its turns. The race is divided into three stages ending at laps 60, 185, and 312.
After wins at Daytona, Atlanta, and the Circuit of the Americas road course event, Reddick still seems to be overlooked by oddsmakers. There are more than five drivers with better odds to win this race. Let’s discuss some top contenders. Ryan Blaney won this race last year and is seeking back-to-back victories. Kyle Larson actually leads all active Cup drivers in average finish at Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin ranks second in that category after finishing runner-up last spring. Defending Phoenix spring winner Christopher Bell will also be one to watch this weekend. Noah Gragson will carry Straight Talk Wireless colors on his No. 4 Ford.
Check out the latest NASCAR betting lines. All our odds are from the best NASCAR betting sites. For more information about the Cup Series, check out our guide on how to bet on NASCAR.
Straight Talk Wireless 500 Odds
Ryan Blaney
Blaney is coming off a career year. He posted four wins and 15 top-five finishes in 2025. His most recent victory came at this track in the November season finale. He was able to make a last-lap pass of Brad Keselowski in overtime to take the checkered flag. The Phoenix win was his first at the one-mile oval in 20 career starts.
From earlier today: NASCAR Power Rankings: SVG, Ryan Blaney Making Moves @NASCARONFOX https://t.co/7IiULNtcAI
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 4, 2026
He knows this track well; he’s coming into this race with eight straight top-10 finishes here. He and teammate Chris Buescher have been among the best racers at this track of late. Despite finishing with a disappointing 27th-place finish at Daytona, he bounced back with a top-10 result at Atlanta and the COTA road course.
His ability to recover from adversity has become a trademark. Can Blaney take advantage of Team Penske’s resources and his experience at this track?
I’d pass on Blaney at this price. I need to see more before I’m backing him as the favorite.
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin finished runner-up in the 2025 standings after winning six races. He holds 60 career Cup Series wins, more than any driver without a championship. Can Hamlin overcome the heartbreaking finish he suffered here last year?
Hamlin led 208 laps at this track in the November championship race. A late caution with four laps remaining forced a pit stop scramble that cost him dearly. He restarted 10th and could only rally back to sixth as the title slipped away. At 45, he returns for what could be his penultimate Cup Series season.
Denny Hamlin doesn’t expect to see another driver win the first three races of the season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eQuGBp36pT
— Sportskeeda NASCAR (@NASCARatSK) March 4, 2026
He’s had a quiet start to the season, sitting 23rd in points with zero top-five finishes. However, Phoenix is a track where Hamlin has historically excelled over a full race distance. He won his very first career pole at Phoenix back in 2005. With unfinished business at this track, expect Hamlin to be a factor late on Sunday.
I would wager on Hamlin winning this at +600.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson should be one of the most dangerous contenders on Sunday. Considering his 2025 Championship dramatically came at this very track. He overcame a tire issue on lap 215, but a timely caution allowed him to rally for a third-place finish. That resilience helped him claim his second title over Denny Hamlin.
That being said, Larson has had a bumpy start to the season. Through three races, he has zero wins and one top-10 finish, putting him 15th in points. After a crash at Atlanta left him 32nd, he did bounce back with a sixth-place finish at COTA last weekend.
The highest average finish at Phoenix in the NASCAR Cup Series (active drivers):
10.3- Kyle Larson
10.5- Denny Hamlin
10.9- Ryan Blaney
11.2- Kyle Busch
12.1- Chase Elliott
12.2- William Byron
12.8- Joey Logano
12.9- Christopher Bell pic.twitter.com/UbvOHa1PgG— Racing Territory (@RacingTerritory) March 3, 2026
Will Larson be able to use his ability to manage tire wear on this low-banked oval again? A win on Sunday would jumpstart his title defense. It’s tempting to back Larson, but I’m actually going to pass in favor of a couple of other drivers.
Christopher Bell
Bell is another driver who’s performed well at this track. He won the 2025 spring Phoenix race in a dramatic finish over teammate Denny Hamlin. He won by just .049 seconds in a two-lap shootout. Bell led a race-high 105 laps that day, and that win was his third straight victory to open 2025.
Can Bell rediscover what made his stellar 2025 season? He finished fifth in the final standings with four wins, 13 top-5 finishes, and 22 top-10s. This season, he’s had a rocky start after being wrecked from behind at Daytona and being nudged into the wall at Atlanta. That being said, he did bounce back with a third-place finish at COTA last Sunday.
Christopher Bell’s average NASCAR Cup Series finish per season:
2025- 11.2
2024- 12.8
2023- 12.9
2022- 13.8
2021- 15.8
2020- 20.3 pic.twitter.com/1F6XCYz8xN— Racing Territory (@RacingTerritory) January 2, 2026
His crew chief, Adam Stevens, is one of the best strategists on pit road. Will Bell repeat as the spring Phoenix winner on Sunday? Bell is another one I would back at +700. I tend to agree it’s been more bad luck than bad driving.
Tyler Reddick
The racing world wants to know if Reddick can keep the streak alive. He comes into Phoenix with a commanding 70-point lead in the championship standings. However, he has zero wins at Phoenix in 12 career Cup starts at this track. His average finish sits at 17.8. That said, he finished third at this track in the 2022 spring race.
Only eight drivers in history have won four consecutive Cup Series races. It’s been nearly 20 years since Jimmie Johnson last accomplished the feat in 2007. Team co-owner Michael Jordan plans to attend the race in person. The entire NASCAR world will be watching to see if Reddick can once again defy the odds.
Business is booming for NASCAR and Michael Jordan.
23XI Racing has opened the season with three straight wins, the first 3-0 start in NASCAR’s 77-year history. Tyler Reddick delivered all three.
The business metrics are just as strong:
• 150,000 fans on race day at the… pic.twitter.com/He5O6pE1t5— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) March 3, 2026
Sunday will reveal whether raw confidence can overcome a tricky track record. It seems foolish, but I’m taking Reddick to win this at +1400.
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