Before he hoisted the series championship trophy after the final race of the season, he celebrated a victory in an exhibition event to kick off the year. Now it’s time to see whether anyone else can duplicate the feat that Joey Logano pulled off in 2022.

Indeed, the eventual Cup Series champ opened his campaign with a victory in the Clash at the Coliseum, a non-points race held on a quarter-mile asphalt track laid down inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

Last season’s inaugural event was quite the spectacle, with 384 passes in the 150-lap main event, and Logano overtaking Kyle Busch with 35 to go. It also proved something of a preview: Of the top 11 finishers, eight would go on to make the season-ending playoffs.

Perhaps no surprise, then, that Logano and Chase Elliott are +750 NASCAR betting co-odds favorites to win in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, with Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell right behind at +800. 

You have to go 12 places down the NASCAR odds board, to Martin Truex Jr. at +1200, to find a driver who wasn’t in the playoffs last season. And with a year of experience under everyone’s belt in the next-generation car, don’t be surprised to find that trend repeating itself in L.A. this weekend. 

2023 Clash at the Coliseum Odds

Odds via DraftKings and current as of publication. Check out our DraftKings Sportsbook review.

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2023 Clash at the Coliseum Betting Predictions

For all the passes within the field in last year’s inaugural event, there were just four of them at the front. The only drivers to lead were Tyler Reddick, Logano and Busch—who started second, first and fourth, respectively. 

That would seem to indicate that starting position is key when backing a prospective winner, so keep an eye on the four heat races slated for Sunday afternoon that will determine the bulk of the 27-car field.

But even given that, there’s precious little history here for bettors to lean on, given that last season’s Clash marked NASCAR’s first race on a quarter-mile track since 1971. 

Backing a driver with a track record of short-track success would seem the most natural move, especially in light of the fact that Logano and Busch (with 23 short track victories between them) dominated last year’s race. And watch out for drivers like Larson and Bell who come from quarter-mile midget racing, given that they both finished inside the top eight a year ago.

Since teams are using the same car as they did last year, this event isn’t quite the complete guessing game it was in 2022, when NASCAR debuted a completely new vehicle (with most parts made by common manufacturers) for a completely new exhibition race. 

Once again, expect lots of fender-to-fender racing in the pack, while a few elite drivers decide the outcome among themselves up at the front.

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2023 Clash at the Coliseum Best Bets

The Favorite: Kyle Larson to Win 

Odds: +800 at DraftKings  

Our top pick last year, and again in 2023, is the best active NASCAR driver on quarter-mile tracks thanks to his exploits in midget cars. 

While those races may have been on dirt, Larson has shown he can win anywhere, and a year of experience in the next-gen car should help jump-start a team that seemed slow out of the gate to adapt last season. Take Larson to win on betting sites this weekend.

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The Value Choice: Kevin Harvick to Win

Odds: +2200 at DraftKings  

Another driver who got off to a very slow start in 2022, Harvick didn’t find his footing in the new car until the second half of the season, which he finished with three top-10s in his final six starts.

Another short-track ace with seven career wins, Harvick cut his racing teeth on paved quarter-miles in Southern California. If you see speed in the No. 4 car in heat races, watch out.

The Long Shot: Erik Jones to Win

Odds: +4000 at DraftKings

One of the few drivers who was able to move up through the field in last year’s Clash, Jones started 16th and finished fourth. 

While the two-time winner at Darlington doesn’t have a short track victory at NASCAR’s top level, the Petty GMS driver remains a natural talent, and he’s been both a pole sitter and a runner-up at Bristol. Grab Jones at +4000 on sports betting apps.

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Clash at the Coliseum Time, Date and TV

When: Sunday, 8 p.m. EST

Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

TV: FOX