NASCAR insider picks JGR’s driver as favorite to win 2025 Cup Series playoff race at Bristol

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season will next head to the Bristol Motor Speedway for the third playoff race of the season, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Ahead of the event, NASCAR insider and journalist Bob Pockrass gave his prediction, picking the winner, top-five finishers, and a long-shot winner for the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

Pockrass picked Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell to reach the victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 13. Bell has a decent record at Bristol, as he has recorded three top-five and six top-10 finishes to his name in nine races. The #20 Toyota driver will start from the ninth position in the 39-driver field on Saturday.

Rounding out Pockrass’ top five predictions are Ryan Blaney, last week’s Gateway winner Denny Hamlin, the defending winner of the event, Kyle Larson, and Ty Gibbs. He also chose Bubba Wallace as a long-shot prospect. Wallace will start from the eighth position.

Pockrass wrote on X:

“My pick for Cup race tonight at Bristol: Christopher Bell ... top-5: Bell Blaney Hamlin Larson Gibbs ... long-shot: Wallace ET 7-USA-Prerace 7:35-USA-Cup, stages 125-125-250, 10 sets, fuel 178-190”

Bob Pockrass

@bobpockrass

My pick for Cup race tonight at Bristol: Christopher Bell ... top-5: Bell Blaney Hamlin Larson Gibbs ... long-shot: Wallace ET 7-USA-Prerace 7:35-USA-Cup, stages 125-125-250, 10 sets, fuel 178-190

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell has had an impressive season so far, recording three wins, nine top-fives, and 15 top-10 finishes in 28 races so far in the 2025 season, and will look to clinch his fourth win of the season. He has an average finish of 12.8 and currently sits in eighth place in the championship points table, 45 points behind the leader, Hamlin. He has the fourth-highest odds to win at Bristol.

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are also the top favorites to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race in the odds table.

---

Kevin Harvick picks HMS driver to win the 2025 NASCAR Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion-turned-commentator, Kevin Harvick picked the defending winner of the event, Kyle Larson, as a favorite to win the third playoff race at the 0.533-mile-short Bristol track.

On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour Podcast,” when his co-host Kaitlyn Vincie asked him to give his prediction for this weekend’s Bristol playoff race, Harvick picked the #5 HMS driver and said [54:48]:

“I think that the #5 popped up last week with some speed that I hadn't seen. In Bristol has always been his place. Really good there. So, I'm going to go with Larson,”

Catch NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams in action at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can witness the 500-lap Cup Series race on NBC Sports.