NASCAR returns after the two-week Olympic break with Richmond Raceway this weekend. The .750 D-shaped oval is the first repeat track of the 2024 season. Now, let’s take a look at this week’s NASCAR picks, odds, best bets, and option tires for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
NASCAR Picks, Odds, Best Bets, and Option Tires: Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway
This week’s Richmond race will be the first time NASCAR will allow the tire strategy choices in a points-paying event. They did something similar at the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro.
From NASCAR: “Teams will use two types of Goodyear rubber in Richmond’s 400-lapper — a softer ‘option’ tire with the reward of more short-term grip balanced against the risk of less long-term durability, and a baseline ‘prime’ tire that provides a more lasting ride with potentially less grip in its harder compound.”
When it comes to betting, keep in mind that this could make a huge impact on the outcome of the race. Certain teams will gamble at a chance to steal a race win. Some gamblers may pay off big time, others might not, and cost someone fast a good finish. This can work in our favor or against us.
Odds to Win: Richmond Raceway
Denny Hamlin +600
Martin Truex Jr +650
Christoper Bell +650
Kyle Larson +700
Joey Logano +1200
Ryan Blaney +1300
Chase Elliott +1300
Tyler Reddick +1600
William Byron +1700
Chris Buscher +2000
Brad Keselowski +2200
Ty Gibbs +2200
Josh Berry +2600
Kyle Busch +3100
Bubba Wallace +3100
Alex Bowman +3200
Ross Chastain +3400
Michael McDowell +8500
Austin Cindric +10000
Daniel Suarez +13000
Carson Hocevar +15000
Austin Dillion +18000
Todd Gilliland +18000
Chase Briscoe +18000
Noah Gragson +18000
Justin Haley +24000
Ryan Preece +24000
John Hunter Nemechek +24000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +24000
Erik Jones +24000
Corey Lajoie +2400
Zane Smith +28000
Harrison Burton +28000
Ty Dillion +28000
Daniel Hemric +50000
Denny Hamlin Top 3 Finish (+170)
Denny Hamlin and Richmond Raceway are a pretty good pairing. Hamlin won the spring race here and has finished in the top two in five of the last seven races.
You read that right: In every race here since April 2021, Hamlin has finished either first or second, with the exception of last April, when he was 20th, and the fall of 2022, when he finished fourth. Old car, new car, your car—it doesn’t matter; Denny Hamlin loves Richmond Raceway.
Chase Elliott Top 5 Finish (+190)
Elliott has quietly put together a strong season as he sits just -10 points behind Kyle Larson in the regular season points standings battle. Elliott has looked very strong on comparable tracks to Richmond. He finished fifth here in the spring, third at Iowa, and third at Martinsville. Elliott also has top-five finishes at Richmond in three of the last five races.
This team will be looking to have another strong run like this as they chase that points title, and Elliott is the type of driver who will settle for a strong day and not risk cashing your top-five bet.
Todd Gilliland Top 10 Finish (+700)
If you like to take a little gamble on a long-shot bet, here’s the one for you. Todd Gilliland has been tearing up the Cup Series compared to the standard he has set. At Pocono, he was an innocent victim of the Corey Lajoie and Kyle Busch incident.
Gilliland had been top 17th at the end of the day in 10 of the last 11 races, Pocono being the lone exception. That’s 10 races where he was either in the top 10 or within seven spots of it. At 7/1 that’s great value on Gilliland.
In addition, he finished 15th here at Richmond last spring when he was close to losing his ride at Front Row. Now, he’s their lead driver and has signed up for multiple years. Things are firing on all cylinders in the Gilliland world.
Denny Hamlin to Win (+600)
Denny Hamlin at shorter-flat tracks this year …
Phoenix – 11th. 3rd in the two opening Stages, led 68 laps but spun out while battling for the lead in the last Stage.
Richmond – 1st
Gateway – 2nd
Iowa – 24th. Just off and crashed.
New Hampshire – 24th. Won Stage #2 which… pic.twitter.com/CHMKtORI2B
— Ryan (@ifantasyrace) August 3, 2024
Expanding on his success above, Denny Hamlin has won at Richmond five times and finished in the top six in 14 of the last 17 races there. According to IFantasyrace.com, Hamlin has the best “conventional track” total speed ranking of the season.
He finished second at Gateway and 11th at Phoenix earlier this season. This is a Denny Hamlin playground, and 6/1 odds on FanDuel are almost criminal when he’s as short as 3/1 elsewhere. Grab this one early!
