The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championships have begun. Last weekend, the field of 16 drivers for the cup championship was set after Austin Dillon won a dramatic Coke Zero Sugar 400. The win propelled Dillon into the playoffs and prevented Martin Truex Jr. from getting in.
The NASCAR playoffs begin in Darlington, South Carolina for the Cook Out Southern 500 where, according to sportsbook Sportsbook, Kyle Larson holds the best odds at +650. Joey Logano is second on the oddsboard at +650 while Denny Hamlin is third at +700.
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Cook Out Southern 500 Odds: Darlington Raceway
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +600 |
| Joey Logano | +650 |
| Denny Hamlin | +700 |
| Kyle Busch | +800 |
| Tyler Reddick | +800 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +900 |
| William Byron | +900 |
| Christopher Bell | +1000 |
| Ross Chastain | +1200 |
| Austin Cindric | +1600 |
| Chase Elliott | +1600 |
| Bubba Wallace | +2000 |
| Kevin Harvick | +2000 |
| Ryan Blaney | +2000 |
| Alex Bowman | +2800 |
Odds as of September 4 at Sportsbook
Why Is Larson The Favorite In The Cook Out Southern 500 Odds?
Kyle Larson sits at the top of the Cook Out Southern 500 oddsboard at +600. Which is a little odd. Usually, the driver at the top of the odds board is either one who’s done well of late or on that specific track.
Over his last five races, Larson's average finish is 18.8. That’s not necessarily good form to be in to be considered the favorite.
He’s also not necessarily the best driver at Darlington with an average 10.5 finish. That's fourth since February 2019, third if you take out Paul Menard and his one race in South Carolina. But both Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano have better average finishes at 3.4 and 9.0, respectively.
So again, while Kyle Larson is the favorite, he's not necessarily the classic favorite thanks to his current form in general or on this specific track.
If you think Larson will win in Darlington, a $100 winning bet would return a $600 profit.
NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 Odds: Three Best Bets
Kevin Harvick (+2000)
Harvick's 13.4 average finish is much better than Larson's 18.8. Don't forget that Harvick won two of those races; the FireKeepers Casino 400 and Federated Auto Parts 400. Already, Harvick is a better pick to win today.
Then you have to consider that Kevin Harvick has the best average finish on this track since February 2019 at 3.4. The next best-average finish is Joey Logano at 9.0. Harvick is leaps better than the next-best driver, at least recently, at Darlington.
At +2000, our odds calculator gives him a 4.76% implied odd to win but it really seems like Harvick knows how to win here. A $100 winning bet on Harvick would return an incredible $2,000 profit.
Joey Logano (+650)
Logano holds the second-best odds to win at Darlington. He's got the second-best average finish in South Carolina at 9.0 thanks to a win, two top fives, four top tens and seven top 20s. That one win came on May 8 during the Goodyear 400 where Logano beat out William Byron earlier this season.
His average finish over the last five races is a tidy 6.2. Combining his relatively good form on this track, giving Logano the second-best odds at +650 makes sense. A $100 winning bet would return a $650 profit.
Denny Hamlin (+700)
Hamlin’s 10.7 average finish at Darlington is fifth since February 2019, fourth if you take out Paul Menard's single race here. He's the only other drive outside of Kevin Harvick to have won on this track twice. His most recent win was on September 5, 2021, where he lead for 146 laps.
At +700 Odds Sharks odds calculator give Denny Hamlin a 12.5% implied chance to win this weekend, but if you think he can take the win a $100 winning bet would net you a $700 profit.
