The NASCAR circuit shifts to Phoenix, AZ for the fourth race of the 2026 season on Sunday afternoon: the Straight Talk Wireless 500.
Tyler Reddick made history with victories in each of the first three races of the campaign, capping it off in Austin last Sunday.
On Sunday, Christopher Bell looks to win in Phoenix for a second straight season after finishing ahead of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson last March.
Ahead of Sunday's race, let's dive into predictions and top 10 picks for the Straight Talk Wireless 500, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1. We'll also list some picks to win and driver picks for PrizePicks, where you can earn real money with your NASCAR Cup Series predictions if you're right.
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Straight Talk Wireless 500 Picks, Payouts, Favorites for PrizePicks
Ryan Blaney is the current favorite to win the Straight Talk Wireless 500, returning a 5x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if he wins outright.
Joey Logano is right behind Blaney with a 6.25x payout if he wins, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Ryan Blaney 5x
- Joey Logano 6.25x
- Kyle Larson 6.66x
- William Byron 7.14x
- Denny Hamlin 7.14x
- Christopher Bell 7.14x
- Tyler Reddick 9.09x
- Chase Elliott 10x
- Ross Chastain 10x
- Chase Briscoe 11.11x
- Austin Cindric 11.11x
- Daniel Suarez 11.11x
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Straight Talk Wireless 500 Trends, Race Stats to Know for Sunday
Here are some stats and figures to get you set for the Straight Talk Wireless 500 on Sunday, including insights on our Straight Talk Wireless 500 prediction.
- This is the first of two races at Phoenix Raceway this season, with the second event coming on October 18.
- William Byron has finished in the top 10 in five of the last seven races at Phoenix. He last won here in March of 2023, his only victory at Phoenix.
- Bell seeks his third consecutive triumph at this event. In the past four Phoenix events, the #20 driver led for 298 laps, including a pair of stage wins.
- Reddick goes for an unprecedented four straight victories this weekend. He has yet to break through at Phoenix, though, going winless in 12 tries.
- Chase Elliott has recorded three consecutive top-10 finishes at Phoenix and is looking for his first win at this track since 2020.
- In the last three March races at Phoenix, Joey Logano finished outside the top 10. He begins at pole position on Sunday, seeking his first triumph at this track since November 2024.
- Michael McDowell may be a driver to watch to finish in the top 10, as he's closed eighth or higher in three of the last five Phoenix events.
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2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500 Picks & Driver Predictions
Here are four top Straight Talk Wireless 500 picks to target on Sunday. Key PrizePicks racer projections are headlined by four drivers: Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Josh Berry.
To calculate fantasy points, 0.25 points are received for a lap led and 0.45 for fastest lap. The race winner picks up 45 points, second place grabs 42 points, and that number decreases by one for each descending finish.
Ryan Blaney Projection: 52.5 Fantasy Points, 5x to Win
- In the last nine Phoenix races, Blaney finished in the top five eight times, including a win last November.
- Blaney has not led a single lap in the past three March races in Phoenix.
- Through three races this season, Blaney has improved each week. After crashing and finishing 27th at Daytona, he closed 10th at Atlanta and 8th in Austin last Sunday.
- His last three victories in 2025 all came after a race he placed in the top 10.
Kyle Larson Projection: 45.5 Fantasy Points, 6.66x to Win
- Larson compiled five top-four finishes in the last six Phoenix races but hasn’t won here since November 2021.
- In both 2025 Phoenix events, Larson placed third but didn’t lead for one lap.
- He rebounded from a 32nd-place finish in Atlanta to place sixth at COTA last Sunday.
- The 2025 Cup champion posted top-six finishes in all five races last season following a road course event.
Joey Logano Projection: 83.5 Laps Led, 10x to Win
- In last year’s race, Logano led 81 laps before placing 13th.
- Only once in the past six Phoenix races has Logano eclipsed this projection, leading 107 laps in a November 2024 victory.
- In three of the last four Phoenix events, the pole-sitter has not led for more than 83 laps.
- Through three races this season, Logano has led for a total of 80 laps.
Josh Berry Projection: 28.5 Fantasy Points, 16.66x to Win
- Berry put together a pair of top-seven finishes in the two Phoenix races in 2025.
- He closed fourth in the March event, his third-best finish of last season.
- Last week at COTA, Berry finished 26th, as he has never placed in the top 10 at a road course.
- Last season, Berry posted three top-12 finishes following a road course race.
Make NASCAR Straight Talk Wireless 500 Picks on PrizePicks
All eyes will be on Reddick and whether he can pull off a fourth consecutive win to start the season. Will he keep up this historic run, or will another driver hoist the checkered flag in Phoenix on Sunday?
You can make your Straight Talk Wireless 500 picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick drivers, predict More or Less on at least two projections, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on race winners and more, now available in 34 states.
Check out the Playbook throughout the season for more NASCAR picks, predictions, and news every day.
