The NASCAR Cup Series is at Richmond Raceway for the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders Saturday. The green flag is set to drop at approximately 7:35 p.m. ET. Below we analyze the 2021 Federated Auto Parts 400 odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and predictions.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman posted the victory in the first start of the season in Richmond April 18 in the Toyota Owners 400. Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing was nipping at his heels but couldn’t get there for checkers.
Speaking of Hamlin, he secured his first win of the season in Darlington last weekend in the first race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He held off Hendrick’s Kyle Larson, who is on the pole for Saturday’s race in Richmond.
2021 Federated Auto Parts 400: What you need to know
- Larson is not only on the pole Saturday, but with his starting spot, he has the advantageous first pit stall right before Turn 1. That spot is clear of any other cars in front of him, and at the very end of Pit Road.
- Larson won once before at Richmond in 2017, and he has a solid 12.15 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in 13 career Cup Series starts at the track while leading 73 laps. He finished lower than 18th on just one occasion.
- JGR’s Kyle Busch leads all drivers with a ridiculous 6.81 AFP, and he has six victories and 18 top-5 runs in his 31 career Cup starts at the track. He is second among all active drivers with 1,489 laps led.
- Hamlin is second to his teammate Busch with a 9.00 AFP in 29 career Cup starts, including three victories. He leads all active drivers with 1,911 laps led.
PLAY: Our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Who is going to win the 2021 Federated Auto Parts 400?
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:05 a.m. ET.
HAMLIN (+500) has always run well at Richmond, and he is brimming with confidence after holding off the No. 5 machine last weekend. The No. 11 team seems to be peaking at just the right time for another deep run into the playoffs and is the better play. He finished as a runner-up to Bowman in April.
LARSON (+600) is third by the odds for Saturday’s night race. He won a stage last week at Darlington and just came up short against Hamlin in a thrilling finish. He was a disappointing 18th in the mid-April stop in Richmond.
Don’t sleep on Penske’s BRAD KESELOWSKI (+1000), who is a tremendous value at this price. He won the Richmond race last September, averaging 101.868 mph, which was the fastest average since Sept. 2018.
Keselowski has a sharp 12.26 AFP in 23 career Cup starts at the Virginia short track, and he has collected checkers twice while leading the pack for 1,177 laps.
Long-shot and prop bets for the 2021 Federated Auto Parts 400
CHRISTOPHER BELL (+1500) has some rather long odds considering he has been sharp in his two previous stops at this track.
Bell turned in an impressive fourth-place run in the Toyota Owners 400 in April, and he was 15th in his only other previous Cup Series start at the track last September.
BELL TOP 10 FINISH (-135) is still a pretty sharp play with not a lot of risk, so look into that as well.
Give me BOWMAN TOP 10 FINISH (-145), too, for a mild risk. He has the confidence after winning at this track in the spring.
For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Joe Williams on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1950]