NASCAR Pennzoil 400 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take to 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fifth race of the 2025 season. 

Ahead of Sunday's final leg of the three-race west coast swing, here's a favorite, an underdog and the storylines you should follow.

Favorite: Christopher Bell (+400, per DraftKings)

Following his third straight win of the season at Phoenix, it should come as no surprise that Bell is atop the oddsboard entering Las Vegas. With five straight top 10s on 1.5-mile tracks and three top fives in the last four races in Sin City, there is a good chance Bell can join NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott (1992) as the only drivers to win four of the first five races in a season.

Underdog: Alex Bowman (+2200, per DraftKings)

It's hard to call Bowman an underdog, given he drives for the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports organization and has the 11th-best odds coming into the weekend. However, his start to the season and previous history at Las Vegas suggest he should be even higher on the list.

Bowman sits sixth in the point standings with three top 10s to begin the season. He is also a previous winner at the Nevada track (2022) and owns three top-five finishes in his last five starts there. If he can have a mistake-free race, don't be surprised to see Bowman up front and contending for the win.

Can anyone stop Bell?

Bell enters Las Vegas riding a massive high with three consecutive wins on three different types of tracks (Atlanta, COTA, Phoenix). As he looks to become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four races in a row, can anyone in the field stop him?

There are a few that could give Bell a run for his money. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron have been excellent at Las Vegas as of late. Larson has won two of the last three races, while Byron owns one win (2023) and has found the front of the field in 10 of the last 12 races there. 

Another driver to watch is 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick, who finished runner-up in the spring race last year and has five top 10s in the last seven races at Las Vegas. If anyone can halt Bell's momentum, those three drivers have as good a shot as any.

Can Joey Logano turn his misfortune around?

It has been a trying start to the season for the three-time Cup Series champion Logano. After he could not get a top 10 finish at Phoenix following an early penalty for going below the yellow line on a restart, Logano became the first defending champion in Cup Series history to not earn a top 10 finish in the first four races the following season.

A trip to Las Vegas could be just what Logano needs to establish some momentum. A winner of four races at the track since 2019, perhaps this is the weekend Logano finally puts a complete run together.

How will the season's first stop at a 1.5-mile track play out?

Sunday will mark the first of seven races on a 1.5-mile intermediate track for the Cup Series this season. The schedule starts taking shape with Homestead-Miami Speedway on tap next weekend after some early wild-card races. With only two winners through the first four races, it will be interesting to see if the same drivers run up front or if different contenders emerge over the next few weeks.