The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway Sunday for the 2022 Goodyear 400. The green flag is set to drop a little after 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Below we analyze the 2022 Goodyear 400 odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and predictions.
This is the first of two stops at Darlington, with the first Round of 16 race in the playoffs set for Sept. 4 in the Cook Out Southern 500.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. won this race last May with an average speed of 123.562 mph. The victory completed a JGR season sweep at the track as teammate Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag in the September race.
Hamlin’s win was his second in his last 4 Darlington runs – and third in his last 8 races – at “The Lady In Black.”
Hamlin and MTJ could have a new teammate, albeit temporarily, as Kyle Busch is on “Baby Watch.” His wife Samantha is due to give birth to their second child any day now, so Trevor Bayne is on standby and would hop behind the wheel of the No. 18 if Busch leaves to join his wife.
2022 Goodyear 400: What you need to know
- Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson leads all active drivers with a 5.5 Average-Finish Position (AFP). He has 8 Cup starts at Darlington and has led 656 laps but has never won. He has 3 consecutive 2nd-place runs among his 5 top-5 finishes.
- Hamlin leads all active drivers with 4 Darlington victories, and his 7.1 AFP is second only to Larson. Hamlin has 11 top-5 finishes among his 15 top-10 showings in 19 Cup starts at Darlington.
- Hendrick’s William Byron has struggled at this track, posting a 20.9 AFP with just 3 laps led in 7 Cup starts. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, who is having a nice season, is just ahead of Byron with a 20.6 AFP in 5 cup starts, tied with JGR’s Christopher Bell in the same amount of starts.
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Goodyear 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 Saturday at 7:21 p.m. ET.
KYLE LARSON (+480) is the chalk (favorite). I suggest backing him despite the fact he has no victories at Darlington. He has been about as dominant as possible, and he has never finished lower than 14th in his 8 Cup starts here.
We can’t overlook HAMLIN (+750) at this price, either. He has been tremendous at Darlington. It wouldn’t be a shock seeing the No. 11 machine pulling into Victory Lane for a 5th time.
Goodyear 400 picks – Long shot
Richard Childress Racing driver AUSTIN DILLON (+4000) is worth a roll of the dice at this price. Like Larson, Dillon doesn’t have a Darlington win. He has a pair of top-5 finishes among 4 top-10 runs, including a runner-up finish in 11 career Cup starts at the track. His 12.2 AFP is seventh among all active drivers, too.
A better play might be DILLON TOP-10 FINISH (+150), something he has done on 4 separate occasions here.
Goodyear 400 prop pick
BRAD KESELOWSKI TOP-10 FINISH (+250)
It has been a trying season for Keselowski, but this is a solid track for the Michigan native. He has a win with 8 finishes inside the top 10 in 16 career Darlington starts. He has an 11.1 AFP, which ranks 5th among all active drivers.
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