NASCAR heads to “The Paperclip” this week, Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville is the longest tenured of the circuits still on the schedule, and the shortest track where the teams race for points. The .526-mile short track will have elbows up and tempers flaring with some good ol’ short track racing. Let’s dive in and take a look at this week’s NASCAR picks, odds, and best bets for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
The teams will once again use the higher 750-horsepower package that has been used at Phoenix, the only other short track this year. It was also used last week at Darlington, but that track shouldn’t translate much to what we’ll see this weekend. Justin Allgaier will once again be filling in for Alex Bowman in the 48 car as Bowman continues to recover from vertigo symptoms.
Odds to Win the Cook Out 400
Ryan Blaney +450
William Byron +550
Denny Hamlin +600
Kyle Larson +650
Christopher Bell +800
Chase Elliott +850
Joey Logano +850
Chase Briscoe +1000
Tyler Reddick +1500
Ty Gibbs +2500
Ryan Preece +2500
Bubba Wallace +2700
Austin Cindric +3300
Brad Keselowski +4000
Ross Chastain +5000
Chris Buescher +5500
Josh Berry +7000
Carson Hocevar +8000
Michael McDowell +10000
Daniel Suarez +10000
Austin Dillon +10000
Todd Gilliland +12500
Shane Van Gisbergen +17500
Kyle Busch +25000
Erik Jones +50000
Justin Allgaier +5000
Connor Zilisch +50000
John Hunter Nemechek +50000
AJ Allmendinger +50000
Zane Smith +50000
Noah Gragson +50000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +50000
Cole Custer +50000
Ty Dillon +50000
Riley Herbst +50000
Cody Ware +50000
Austin Hill +50000
NASCAR Picks, Odds, and Best Bets: Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway
Joey Logano Top 5 Finish (+250)
I love Joey Logano this week. I know that at Darlington, he could have run faster than his car. But you have to put that in the rearview and focus forward. Logano loves coming to Martinsville. The driver of the Team Penske #22 Ford Dark Horse Mustang has finished inside of the top 10 in all eight NextGen races, and the last 13 times he’s been here in the Cup Series.
All those top 10s mean you can never count Logano out; he’s going to find his way to the front. He’s finished top five in three NextGen races and five times in the last 12 races. Logano was good in the one short-track race we’ve had with this package. He ranked fourth in True Performance at Win The Race and led 73 laps. He may not qualify well due to going out early in qualifying. If you get the opportunity to bet his top 10 at any number you are comfortable with, do it! Joey is automatic at The Paperclip.
In the Next Gen at Martinsville, Joey Logano is a perfect 8 for 8 at finishing in the top ten with a 5.9 average finish. Also ranks 6th for Next Gen Speed Rankings and Driver Rating.
Currently, Logano has 13-straight top tens at “The Paper Clip.”
— Ryan (@ifantasyrace) March 23, 2026
Kyle Larson Top 5 (+100)
It’s not often this article has multiple top five bets, but I’m feeling good about the way the board is laid out this week. This race tends to be chalky, which is usually good for betting. Joey Logano is good here, and so is Kyle Larson. Larson has scored a top five in four straight and six of the last seven races here. Larson’s winless streak is now up to 30 races. It’s hard to trust him to win right now, but you know he’ll be good at this track. Larson ran well and finished third at Phoenix a few weeks ago.
Denny Hamlin to Win (+600)
Denny Hamlin is another driver who loves Martinsville, one of the home tracks for the Virginia native. He absolutely dominated this 400-lap race last season, leading 274 laps en route to winning his sixth Cup Series Grandfather Clock trophy. Hamlin has finished top five in five of the last seven races here at Martinsville. A few weeks ago at Phoenix, Hamlin had a strong day, ranking third in overall True Performance of all drivers. Hamlin has had a strong showing thus far in 2026, including a win at Las Vegas.
Active NASCAR Cup Series winners at Martinsville:
6- Denny Hamlin
3- William Byron
2- Brad Keselowski
2- Kyle Busch
2- Ryan Blaney
1- Kyle Larson
1- Christopher Bell
1- Joey Logano
1- Chase Elliott pic.twitter.com/uCWmZ1irnb— Racing Territory (@RacingTerritory) March 24, 2026
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