The 2025 Hollywood Casino 400 will take place at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. This is the second race of the round of 12 in this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. A second driver could punch their ticket into the final eight with a win in this race from Kansas City. Before the green flag is waved, continue reading to get my Hollywood Casino 400 prediction.
Our Hollywood Casino 400 Pick
- Pick: Kyle Larson
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Hollywood Casino 400 Preview
Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 is the 31st points race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and the second race in the Round of 12 in the Playoffs. Kansas Speedway is unforgiving for those who misread tire wear and balance. Long green-flag runs will separate the strongest teams, while cautions can shuffle the running order dramatically. Because this is a Playoff elimination race, drivers on the bubble must push aggressively, while teams higher in the standings may run a more conservative race to simply move closer to advancing without any catastrophe.
The entry list for this race has 38 drivers, including all the key Playoff contenders. The drivers in positions 9-12 are all within 30 points of the cut line with two races before the next cut is made. That means bonus points and stage strategies will matter more than ever. While favorites like Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin will draw much of the attention, drivers like Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick will be looking to make a move above the cut line.
Hollywood Casino 400 Track Info
- Track: Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, KS
- Distance: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
- Stages: Stage 1 ends at lap 80, Stage 2 ends at lap 165, final stage to lap 267
- Race Time: 3:00 PM ET green flag
- Broadcast: USA Network
Kansas is one of the few Playoff tracks that has hosted a postseason race in every era of the playoff format. The fall Kansas winner has gone on to win the championship four times, though that has only happened twice under the current elimination style of the NASCAR Playoffs.
Betting Odds
- Kyle Larson: +370
- Denny Hamlin: +600
- Ryan Blaney: +700
- William Byron: +700
- Christopher Bell: +900
- Tyler Reddick: +1100
- Chase Briscoe: +1100
- Chase Elliott: +1300
- Ross Chastain: +1400
- Joey Logano: +1400
Hollywood Casino 400 Prediction
Here is how I break down the contenders for the Hollywood Casino 400:
- Kyle Larson’s May win at Kansas gives him confidence at this track going into this race. He enters this race as the favorite for good reason as a win would take all pressure off of him to get through Roval week unscathed.
- Denny Hamlin is the top Toyota candidate and has long been a Kansas standout. He has the most wins at the track in this field and he could easily punch his ticket to the next round here.
- William Byron has been solid and consistent. If he performs well in qualifying, we could see him win this race. I expect him to be in the top five no matter what.
- Tyler Reddick is an interesting wild card here. He is on the outside looking in when it comes to the race for the final eight. But a win here would put him through and he could get it.
Final Thoughts
My pick is Kyle Larson to take the checkered flag again in Kansas. Larson is made for a track like this one and he should eliminate all doubt that he is going to the next round without having to worry about performing well in Charlotte.
