The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway Sunday night for the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500. The green flag is set to drop a little after 6 p.m. ET (USA Network). Below we analyze the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500 odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and predictions.
Sunday’s race is scheduled for 367 laps and 501.3 miles on the 1.366-mile oval for the Sprint Cup Series playoff opener. The Cook Out Southern 500 is the 2nd stop of the season at Darlington.
2022 Cook Out Southern 500: What you need to know
- Penske Racing’s Joey Logano registered the victory at the Goodyear 400 in the 1st Darlington stop of the season May 8.
- Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with 4 Darlington victories. He leads everyone with a 7.8 Average Finish Position (AFP) in 20 Cup starts.
- Ford and Toyota have dominated at Darlington in recent seasons, with Toyota posting 7 wins across the past 11 starts, and Ford taking the other 4.
- Chevrolet hasn’t been to Victory Lane at “The Track Too Tough To Tame” since Kevin Harvick picked up checkers April 12, 2014.
- Harvick has 3 wins, 13 top-5 finishes, 18 top-10 runs in 29 Cup starts at Darlington. His 813 laps led is tops among active drivers.
[tipico]
Cook Out Southern 500 – Expert picks
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 9:28 p.m. ET.
HAMLIM (+750) has been the gold standard at Darlington over the years, including a win in the most recent Labor Day weekend race in 2021, averaging 121.279 mph in the victory. He also won the 2nd end of a doubleheader during the COVID season in May 2020.
Hamlin remains a decent value, not only based upon his dominant numbers, posting 3 wins in the past 9 Darlington Cup races, but due to Toyota’s strong showings at the South Carolina track of late.
MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+1200) missed the playoffs, but he is a proud veteran driver who isn’t likely to pack it in for the season. He has been one of the more effective drivers at Darlington, picking up 2 wins and 10 top-10 runs with 721 laps led in 20 career Cup starts. MTJ has a stellar 11.5 AFP, 3rd-best among active drivers, and he has just one DNF in his career at Darlington.
Cook Out Southern 500 – Long shot
ERIK JONES (+4000) is worth a roll of the dice. He has picked up a win in 9 career Darlington Cup starts, while registering 4 top-5 finishes and 109 laps led. It always hasn’t been pretty as Jones has a pair of DNFs in his 9 runs, too. But still, he has managed an 11.8 AFP. When he finishes at Darlington, he finishes strong.
Cook Out Southern 500 prop bets
WINNING CONSTRUCTOR: TOYOTA (+175)
Toyota has been to Victory Lane 7 times in the past 11 Darlington Cup races, with Ford winning the other 4 times since April 2014.
Hamlin has been the most dominant driver in recent seasons in his FedEx No. 11 machine, and Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch (13.0 AFP in 21 career Cup starts) are also threats to win in this 1st playoff race. JGR is a good bet at Darlington, and so is Toyota.
ERIK JONES TOP-10 FINISH (+200)
We mentioned Jones above as a long-shot pick, but he is a more realistic play as a non-playoff driver to simply crack the top 10.
Jones has been out of the playoff hunt, but he has been racing hard lately. He has 4 top-10 finishes in his past 8 starts, including a 10th-place run at Watkins Glen just 2 weeks ago. He did lead a lap in the May race at Darlington, but he was involved in a crash and tumbled to 25th after a start of 11th. He’ll be out to prove himself, and there is a lot less pressure with the playoffs no longer a possibility.
Want some action on the 2022 Cook Out Southern 500? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1950]