NASCAR Cook Out 400 odds, favorites at Richmond Raceway

Just five races left in the regular season and a number of NASCAR drivers will be looking to claim playoff spots in the Cook Out 400. The first Richmond race was won by Kyle Larson as Hendrick Motorsports owned the day more or less. For the fall, can we expect the same thing, or will another team emerge?

Richmond is also a place where Toyota has performed well. This race used to take place right before the Chase as the regular season closer. Now, it has moved back a bit and I think for the better.

So, what does Las Vegas think about the Cook Out 400? Well, they have a clear favorite. Based on the last two months of the season, they aren’t wrong, either. Martin Truex Jr. is the favorite for this short-track battle at 9-2 odds.

You can pretty much count on Truex to be in the top-5. Since his win at Dover, he has pulled off two more wins plus four more top-5s. Incidents at Chicago and Atlanta kept him in the back of the field, but he’s bounced back with a win at New Hampshire and a P3 finish at Pocono.

Next in line is Kyle Larson at 5-1 odd. He won the Spring race at Richmond and should be a factor this week. Of course, his good friend Denny Hamlin is right behind him in the odds at 13-2. Kevin Harvick and Christopher Bell round out the top-5 at 15-2 odds a piece.

The Cook Out 400 is going to be very interesting for those playoff bubble drivers. Points are precious this time of the year.

Cook Out 400 playoff implications

After Pocono, both Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell separated themselves a little from the other bubble drivers. Wallace now sits 27 points up on the cutline while McDowell is 17 points up. They will still have to be careful over the next month to not falter.

Daniel Suárez was out early at Pocono. That cost him enough points to make his situation more dire. With two road courses coming up at Indy and Watkins Glen, Suárez and AJ Allmendinger will have their chances at snagging a win.

However, this week at Richmond, it is Ty Gibbs that is favored above the other bubble drivers. 28-1 odds say that Vegas expects more out of the rookie coming off his career-best finish of P5 at Pocono. You can’t forget about Chase Elliott, either.

While he is winless, Elliott is listed at 16-1 odds for Richmond. Josh Berry finished P2 earlier this season in the No. 9 car while filling in for the injured Elliott. The Cook Out 400 might be the place he punches his playoff ticket.