Denny Hamlin has made a strong start to his 2025 season, aiming for consecutive victories this Sunday at the 2025 NASCAR Cup Goodyear 400 held at Darlington Raceway. Last week, Hamlin took the lead on lap 126 during the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and maintained it, claiming his first win of the season. This victory marked Hamlin’s sixth at Martinsville—more than any other full-time active driver—and was his first win at the track since 2015, bringing his career total to 55 wins over his 20-year career.
Kyle Larson leads the odds as the favorite at +500, followed closely by William Byron and Tyler Reddick both at +650, while Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney are each at +700. Christopher Bell rounds out the favorites at +1000 for the 2025 Goodyear 400 race at Darlington Raceway. The weather forecast for the race is mostly cloudy, with temperatures in the 80s. Byron will be starting from the pole position, with the race set to commence at 3 p.m. ET. Before placing any bets or making predictions for the race, it’s essential to review insights from NASCAR insider Steven Taranto.
Taranto, a prominent NASCAR writer for CBSSports.com and an avid sim racer with 20 victories in iRacing, has passionately followed stock car racing since becoming a full-time fan in 2001. He is also recognized for creating a popular weekly NASCAR predictions column, where he accurately predicted breakthrough wins for Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez in 2022. In 2024, he excelled by picking 17 winners, including longshots like William Byron at 16-1 in the Daytona 500 and Chase Elliott at 14-1 at Texas.
Having recently tackled the starting lineup and odds for the upcoming Goodyear 400, Taranto is high on Kyle Larson, who has demonstrated strong performance at Darlington. Throughout his career, Larson has led for a total of 1,048 laps at this track including 278 laps in his last four performances. During the 2024 Cook Out Southern 500, he led for a significant portion of the race but finished fourth. Larson previously won the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 and is currently listed at +450 at DraftKings.
As a seasoned Hendrick Motorsports driver with 30 Cup Series wins, Larson has achieved 21 pole positions and 187 top-10 finishes in his 372 race span over 13 years. After winning the 2021 season championship and placing sixth overall in 2024, he recorded his initial win at the 2016 Pure Michigan 400. Beyond the Cup Series, Larson boasts success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with 15 wins, 83 top-10 finishes, and seven poles during a decade of racing.
Goodyear 400 Prop Picks
In prop bets, Taranto favors Bubba Wallace (-125) finishing ahead of Chase Elliott (-110). Wallace has proven successful at Darlington, where he secured the pole for last September’s Southern 500. This season, he has notched three top-10 finishes, including consecutive third-place finishes. Wallace has two wins, three poles, and 49 top-10 finishes over 255 career Cup Series races spanning eight years.
On the other hand, Elliott has four top-10 finishes and has consistently placed in the top 20 throughout all seven Cup races this year. He seeks his first victory since winning the 2024 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway and finished fourth last week at the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville. Throughout his decade-long career, Elliott has amassed 19 wins and 174 top-10 finishes. For more picks from Taranto, visit SportsLine.
How to Make 2025 Goodyear 400 Predictions
Taranto has pinpointed four additional drivers for his NASCAR best bets for the 2025 Goodyear 400, highlighting a significant longshot with odds exceeding 50-1, which could yield a substantial payout for those who place their bets wisely. Discover who these drivers are here.
Who will take the title at the 2025 Goodyear 400 at Darlington, and which major longshot could cause an upset in NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now for insider picks and best bets for the 2025 Goodyear 400, from a NASCAR expert who successfully predicted 17 winners last year.
2025 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway Odds and Lineup
Kyle Larson +500
Tyler Reddick +650
William Byron +650
Ryan Blaney +700
Denny Hamlin +700
Christopher Bell +1000
Joey Logano +1500
Chase Briscoe +1500
Bubba Wallace +1600
Ross Chastain +1800
Kyle Busch +1800
Chase Elliott +1800
Chris Buescher +2200
Brad Keselowski +2800
Alex Bowman +3000
Josh Berry +3500
Austin Cindric +4000
Ty Gibbs +5000
Noah Gragson +5000
Erik Jones +5000
Ryan Preece +5500
Carson Hocevar +6500
A.J. Allmendinger +6500
Daniel Suarez +10000
Michael McDowell +17000
Zane Smith +20000
Todd Gilliland +20000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +20000
Justin Haley +20000
Austin Hill +20000
Austin Dillon +20000
Riley Herbst +25000
Cole Custer +25000
Shane Van Gisbergen +30000
John Hunter Nemechek +30000
Ty Dillon +50000
J.J. Yeley +100000
Cody Ware +100000
