Cook Out Southern 500 Predictions
Which drivers offer good value to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500? Here are three contenders to consider for your betting card.
Event Matchup & Betting Odds
Date: Sunday, September 4, 2022
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: USA Network
Track: Darlington Raceway
Kyle Larson and Joey Logano are favored at +600, respectively, followed by Kyle Busch and Tyler Reddick at +750, respectively. Denny Hamlin is +900, followed by William Byrona dn Christopher Bell at +1000, respectively. Ross Chastain, meanwhile, is +1200, followed by Martin Truex Jr. at +1300 and Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott and Austin Cindric at +1500, respectively.
Cook Out Southern 500 Betting Predictions
OPTION 1: Denny Hamlin (+900)
Hamlin leads all active drivers with four victories at Darlington and also leads the field with a 7.8 Average Finish Position in 20 Cup starts. Ford and Toyota have also dominated at Darlington in recent races, with Toyota posting seven wins across the past 11 starts and Ford taking the other four. With four victories at Darlington and three Southern 500 titles (including last season), it’s hard for me to pass on Hamlin this evening.
Option 2: Martin Truex Jr. (+1300)
Kyle Larson has been fast at Darlington, leading the most laps at 17.4%. That said, Truex Jr. has a higher percentage of laps led at 22.3% over the past three seasons. While Truex Jr. was knocked out of the playoffs last week, the pressure is also off. He has two Darlington wins and the third-best average finish among active drivers. He did crash in the spring race at Darlington but finished in the top five for both Darlington races last season, which includes a victory.
Option 3: Joey Logano
Before a crash at Daytona, the No. 22 Team Penske team ended the regular season with four consecutive top-six finishes. Logano could carry some momentum into the playoffs with a victory at Darlington this evening. In the Goodyear 400 back in May, Logano posted a victory so obviously he’s comfortable with this track and while he is one of the favorites, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t offer some value at +600.