NASCAR Straight Talk Wireless 400 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will visit Homestead-Miami Speedway for the sixth race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. 

Here are the storylines you should be aware of ahead of Sunday's Straight Talk Wireless 400:

Favorite: Kyle Larson (+360, per DraftKings)

Larson enters the weekend as the favorite for good reason. While his results at Homestead don't always show it, he's always in the mix for the win at the 1.5-mile track. Larson won Friday's Craftsman Truck Series race, and should he win Saturday's Xfinity Series race, he'll have a chance to complete the weekend sweep on Sunday. 

Underdog: Bubba Wallace (+4500, per DraftKings)

Wallace showed top-10 speed all day at Las Vegas a week ago and finished sixth at Homestead in 2023. The No. 23 team has shown marked improvement this season, and so long as Wallace isn't plagued by bad luck on Sunday, he should be in the running for a top-10 that could turn into a win with the right circumstances. 

Tyler Reddick looking to repeat

Reddick pulled off an unbelievable move to win at Homestead in October to earn 23XI Racing's first Championship 4 berth. He's been one of the best drivers in the Cup Series over the first five races of 2025 and sits third in the Cup Series standings. The time is ripe for Reddick to snag his first triumph of 2025, and Homestead is the perfect opportunity.

Several drivers hoping to get out of the doghouse

Homestead marks a crucial juncture in the schedule. The Cup Series has now visited superspeedways, a road course, a short track and an intermediate. This weekend marks the first race where the field has begun to truly shake out — a bad sign for several drivers near the bottom of the points standings. These drivers include Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski and Shane van Gisbergen, among others — all drivers who were thought to be playoff contenders and are in desperate need of a good showing on Sunday.