The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Richmond Raceway for Sunday’s 2022 Toyota Owners 400. The green flag is set to drop a little after 3:30 p.m. ET (on FOX).
Below we analyze the 2022 Toyota Owners 400 odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and predictions.
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin have burned up the track at Richmond Raceway, and it’s likely a JGR Toyota will make noise this weekend.
The younger Busch brother leads all active drivers with 6 wins and 18 top-5 finishes in 32 career Cup starts in the Virginia race, posting 25 runs of 10th or better with 1,528 laps led.
Right on his heels, Chesterfield, Va., native Hamlin has 3 victories with a series-best 2,108 laps led at the short track. He has 15 top-5 finishes in 30 career starts, while posting an 8.77 Average-Finish Position (AFP).
2022 Toyota Owners 400: What you need to know
- Kyle Busch led all drivers in Saturday’s first practice session with a top speed of 119.691 mph, edging out Chris Buescher’s 119.321 mph.
- JGR’s Christopher Bell was 4th in practice Saturday with a speed of 118.817 mph. He is actually 2nd among all active drivers with a 7.33 AFP in 3 career Cup starts.
- Kevin Harvick is one of 7 active drivers with at least 2 wins at Richmond. He has a solid 10.05 AFP with 15 top-5 runs and 27 top-10 finishes in his 41 career Cup starts while turning 1,180 laps in front.
[tipico]
Toyota Owners 400 – Expert picks
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:55 a.m. ET.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney are the chalk, all at +750. Elliott has never won in 12 career Cup starts at Richmond, and there are better values to be had.
Truex has 3 Richmond victories, including last September. His other wins here were in 2019. He has 14 top-10 finishes, including 8 top-5’s in 31 career Cup races on the Virginia track.
RYAN BLANEY (+750) is on the pole for the 2nd consecutive weekend, and the 3rd time overall this season. He had a top qualifying speed of 119.782 mph, edging out William Byron (119.585).
His Penske teammate JOEY LOGANO (+1000) is one of the better values. Logano has a pair of wins in 25 career Cup starts at Richmond, posting 12 finishes inside the top 5, too.
KYLE BUSCH (+900) and HAMLIN (+1000) have rather long odds given their tremendous success in the past at this track. They should be included in some fashion on your bet slips.
Toyota Owners 400 picks – Contender
CHRISTOPHER BELL (+1300) offers a decent value, and no, this isn’t a recording.
We’ve been touting Bell as a long-shot pick for several weeks now. A late penalty cost him a strong showing in Atlanta. However, he has been a quick study at Richmond, and could surprise.
In 3 career Cup starts at Richmond, Bell has rung up finishes of 3rd, 4th and 15th at this track, and has led 10 laps. There is just something about Richmond which Bell gets.
Toyota Owners 400 picks – Long shot
ARIC ALMIROLA (+3000) is also worth a roll of the dice. He has 19 career Cup starts with just 2 top-5 runs here, but he has a 14.95 AFP which is 9th-best among all active drivers. At this price, he is an amazing value play.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. 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), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1950]