The NASCAR Jack Link's 500 goes green on Sunday, April 26, at 3:00 p.m. ET from the most iconic 2.66 miles in motorsports — Talladega Superspeedway.
Sunday’s race at the iconic Talladega track is 188 laps, totaling 500 miles, in the first of two races at this track this season.
Below, we'll break down our NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 predictions and pick to win for Sunday’s race, including top driver picks for PrizePicks.
Make your NASCAR picks for the Jack Link’s 500 on PrizePicks — and earn real money if you're right, available in Alabama!
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NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 Winner, Top 10 Predictions for Talladega – Sunday, April 26
Tyler Reddick is rolling into Alabama historically hot, picking up his unbelievable fifth win in just the ninth race of the season — the first driver to achieve that since Dale Earnhardt in 1987.
Austin Cindric captured last April’s race at Talladega, his third career victory.
Since October 2020, 11 different drivers have taken the checkered flag at Talladega. The last three winners (spring and fall) were Cindric, Chase Briscoe, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
However, the favorite to win the Jack Link's 500 at Talladega is Ryan Blaney, entering Saturday's qualifying (10:30 a.m. ET), according to PrizePicks Team Picks.
Blaney currently has a 7.14x payout ($100 pays out $714) if he wins, while several other drivers, including Reddick, are tied right behind him at a 10x payout to win at Talladega, according to PrizePicks.
💰 Make your Jack Link's 500 Prediction on NASCAR Winners, Top 10, and more on PrizePicks now!
Payout multipliers listed below (like 2x) indicate real-money earnings if your NASCAR predictions are correct; for example, 2x on a $100 entry pays $200 if correct on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states, including Alabama. “Yes” payouts represent a specific outcome occurring, whereas "No" payouts indicate the opposite.
NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 Winner Payouts on PrizePicks
Here are the payouts for drivers to win the NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 from Talladega Superspeedway on PrizePicks. Make your Jack Link's 500 pick on 'Yes' or 'No' to a driver to win.
- Ryan Blaney – Yes 7.14x | No 1.07x
- Joey Logano – Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- Bubba Wallace – Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- Chase Elliott – Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- William Byron – Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- Tyler Reddick – Yes 10x | No 1.03x
- Brad Keselowski – Yes 11.11x | No 1.02x
- Denny Hamlin – Yes 11.11x | No 1.03x
- Kyle Larson – Yes 11.11x | No 1.03x
- Austin Cindric – Yes 11.11x | No 1.02x
- Carson Hocevar – Yes 14.28x | No 1.02x
- Chris Buescher – Yes 14.28x | No 1.02x
- Ryan Preece — Yes 14.28x | No 1.01x
- Christopher Bell – 16.66x | No 1.01x
Pick the NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 winner on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money if you're right
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 Predictions, Driver Picks for Talladega Speedway
Here are three of the top Jack Link’s 500 picks to target in the NASCAR race from Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. Top PrizePicks NASCAR picks are headlined by four drivers: William Byron, Carson Hocevar, and Chris Buescher.
To calculate NASCAR points, 1 point is received for a stage win, while the race winner picks up 40 points, second place grabs 39 points, and that number decreases by one for each descending finish.
William Byron – 31.5 NASCAR Points, 10x to Win
William Byron to Win the Jack Link's 500: Yes 10x | No 1.03x
Byron Top 5 Finish: Yes 3.03x | No 1.33x
- Byron posted five consecutive Top 7 finishes at Talladega since 2023, but finished 25th in last October’s race at this track.
- Although Byron hasn’t won a race this season, the 24 car finished in the Top 8 in five of the past six races.
- His five Top 5 finishes at Talladega are tied for the second-most at any track in his career behind his seven Top 5’s at Martinsville — a stark difference to this track.
- The 24 car has won two of the last three Daytona 500s, as he's proven he can navigate the uncertainty of superspeedways.
- Byron seeks his first career win at Talladega in 17 tries, as he placed second twice (2021 and 2023).
Add William Byron to your PrizePicks NASCAR Picks for the Jack Link's 500
Carson Hocevar – Top 10 Finish
Carson Hocevar to Finish Top 10 in Jack Link's 500: Yes 3.33x | No 1.07x
- Hocevar put together a pair of sixth-place finishes at Talladega in 2025.
- In 11 races in the 2026 season, Hocevar owns three Top 10 finishes, including fourth at Atlanta and Darlington.
- Talladega Superspeedway is one of four venues where Hocevar has compiled at least two Top 10 finishes (Atlanta, Darlington, and Bristol).
- Hocevar has not qualified well at Talladega, starting 28th or lower in all five races. However, he actually finished sixth in the October race last season in spite of starting 32nd.
Add Carson Hocevar to your PrizePicks NASCAR Picks for the Jack Link's 500
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Chris Buescher – 28.5 NASCAR Points
- In six of the last seven Talladega races, Buescher has finished 17th or lower.
- In 2025, Buescher ended up 34th and 30th, crashing in both races.
- However, in the final two laps of the fall 2025 Talladega race, Buescher was leading and in position for his first win of the year — then got spun off Byron's front bumper and crashed out.
- Buescher has consistently been buried in the field at this track in his career, with an average starting position of 22.9.
- In the past eight races here, Buescher grabbed only one stage victory, coming back in October 2024.
- His best finish at Talladega was third in April 2023, marking his third Top 10 finish at this track in 21 tries.
- Buescher has fared well in his recent races this season, closing in the Top 14 five times in his last six, including a 10th place finish at Kansas last Sunday.
Add Chris Buescher to your PrizePicks Lineup now
Make NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 Predictions on PrizePicks
NASCAR makes its first trip to Talladega Superspeedway in the 2026 season in a 500-mile event where anything can happen. Will Reddick pick up another win or will the favorite Blaney come through at a track that he has struggled at recently?
Ultimately, it'll all come down to who can avoid the big one — so don't count your chickens before they've hatched some Sunday.
Don’t wait until lock — make your NASCAR Jack Link’s 500 predictions on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
There are unique picks on the NASCAR board for every race, including driver points and starting position; just pick at least two drivers to build your Lineup on PrizePicks. Or, make your picks on race winners on Team Picks, now available in 35 states, including Alabama!
Stay locked in to Playbook throughout the season for more NASCAR picks, predictions, and news every day.
