NASCAR South Point 400 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will tackle the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the opening race of the Round of 8. 

The penultimate round of the 2025 Cup Series playoffs will set the field for the championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2. 

Here's what you need to know before the green flag drops on Sunday's South Point 400 (5:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 

Favorite: Kyle Larson (+450, per DraftKings) 

Larson has not won a race since May 11, but there's good reason to think that may change on Sunday evening. 

After going through a summer slump, Larson has found his way again in the postseason. The 2021 champion has three consecutive top-seven finishes going into the weekend, including a runner-up finish last weekend in Charlotte. 

Larson is a three-time Las Vegas winner, including a Round of 8 victory at LVMS in the fall of 2023. Another win on Sunday would get Larson to the Championship 4 for the third time in five years. 

Underdog: Josh Berry (+3000, per DraftKings) 

It's surprising to see Berry so far down the odds list, given he won at Las Vegas in March. Another win in Sin City would be huge for the No. 21 team, which has struggled ever since Berry broke through and scored his first career win nearly seven months ago. 

Round of 8 begins 

Sunday's race is the most important of the season so far, and will set the tone for the penultimate round of the playoffs. 

Over the next three weeks, the eight remaining playoff drivers will battle for a spot in the Championship 4. Denny Hamlin (+8) is the No. 1 seed going into Sunday's race, while William Byron (+4) and Christopher Bell (-4) are the last driver in and the first driver out, respectively. 

Chase Briscoe (-14) and Joey Logano (-24) will have the toughest roads to Phoenix, but a win on Sunday would be the cure-all. 

Can Chris Buescher keep hot streak rolling? 

You'd be forgiven if you haven't noticed Chris Buescher's incredibly solid body of work over the course of the last two months, given that he missed out on the Cup Series playoffs. But despite missing the postseason, Buescher hasn't finished outside the top-20 since Aug. 16, and he has four top-10s over the last seven races. He's currently on pace to be the highest-finishing driver in the standings among those who missed the playoffs, and he'll go for his first win of 2025 on Sunday. 

Defending winner: Joey Logano 

Most recent LVMS winner: Josh Berry

Cup Series practice: Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET, truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cup Series qualifying: Friday, 5:40 p.m. ET, truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Pre-race coverage: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET on PRN, 5 p.m. ET on USA Network 

South Point 400: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio