The NASCAR Cup Series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the Window World 450, where Joey Logano, Carson Hocevar, and Brad Keselowski headline this week’s betting picks and value predictions.
Window World 450 Picks
Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026
Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Channel: TNT Sports
What Did We Learn From Last Weekend?
What in the world was that race?! Ryan Blaney drove away with the checkered flag after a last lap nudge from Christopher Bell. The nudge gave Blaney a 0.068 second advantage over Bell, who was followed by Wallace and Hocevar. Unfortunately, Wallace ended up penalized after dropping below the commitment line on the bottom of the track, relinquishing that second place to Bell. Hocevar had a taste of the victory, leading the field as the white flag flew, but he just couldn’t overcome the momentum of Blaney when it mattered most. Honestly, Blaney was the class of the field all day. He swept the stages and led a total of 171 of the 263 laps.
It definitely wasn’t an easy night. The race was red flagged for more than 3 hours for weather on lap 109. Despite the challenges, Hocevar maintained his positivity, ultimately encouraged with a 3rd place finish and the opportunity to spend much of the night contending for the win. That definitely builds confidence! Ty Gibbs and Erik Jones rounded out the top five. That top 5 for Jones was an awesome finish for that team, keeping him inside the top 16 in points after the weekend. Shane Van Gisbergen also had a stellar night, finishing 6th when all was said and done. Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10 spots.
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
With only 6 races remaining in the regular season, these guys are going to have some big moves to make this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway. This track is vastly different than the drafting track we just left. North Wilkesboro is a 0.625 mile asphalt oval with 14 degrees of banking in the turns and just three degrees on the straights. This track was ultimately revived back in 2023, after years of being inoperable. The last Cup Series points paying race was back in 1996 when the legendary Jeff Gordon took the win. Most recently, the track has hosted the All-Star race with Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Christopher Bell being the winners. Although this isn’t an All-Star event, we can count on similar strengths from the teams that performed well over the last 3 years.
Odds and Value Picks
When it comes to picking a winner, well, let’s look at last week’s race! Christopher Bell is someone to keep eyes on. He’s the 2025 winner of the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and is a runner-up from last weekend. Will that confidence translate into a win this weekend? Current NASCAR betting odds are available at Bovada. Let’s take a look at your potential winners for Sunday’s race:
Winner: Joey Logano
Joey may not have won last year, but he has a 2024 win and only lost in a last-lap pace from Bell in 2025. Of note, Logano led 199 of the 200 laps in that race. Not only that, but Logano has some work to do to get himself a secured place in the playoffs. This is a great weekend for him to get a win and do just that.
Mid-Range Pick: Carson Hocevar
Boy oh boy, Hocevar is going to win one if it kills him. He was so close at Atlanta and said that he wasn’t nervous at all leading the field. He’s boiling over to get into victory lane. With his determination, aggressive driving style, and a win at this track in the All Star Open, this is the perfect weekend for Hocevar to earn his Cup Series win.
Dark Horse: Brad Keselowski
I’m not crazy. I promise. Keselowski has an affinity for flat short tracks. He’s really needing a strong finish and he’s shown promise at this particular track. He won the heat race last year. Can he capitalize this year?
Points Picture Heading Into North Wilkesboro
The points are getting more solidified it seems as we get closer to the playoffs. There was a bit of movement, but no changes to the top 16 drivers as a whole. Let’s take a look at your current playoff contenders after EchoPark:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Tyler Reddick
3. Ryan Blaney
4. Ty Gibbs
5. Chase Elliott
6. Kyle Larson
7. Chris Buescher
8. Carson Hocevar
9. Christopher Bell
10. Chase Briscoe
11. Daniel Suarez
12. William Byron
13. Bubba Wallace
14. Austin Cindric
15. Shane Van Gisbergen
16. Erik Jones
Joey Logano is within reach of Jones. Even though Jones had a phenomenal race at EchoPark, Logano didn’t do too bad himself. That’s what a lot of these drivers are seeing. There’s consistency, which is what makes them playoff contenders. Inevitably, North Wilkesboro will produce a little more movement. Short tracks tend to do that to the standings. Who will move in and who will move out? Stay tuned for a great afternoon of short track battling this Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway!
