On Saturday, August 16, NASCAR heads to one of its longest-running venues – Richmond Raceway. This cherished short-track marks the 25^th regular season race of the season and it will be under the lights. With only two races left before the Playoffs begin, the Cook Out 400 will definitely be smoking more than just tires.

Shane van Gisbergen won last weekend’s race at Watkins Glen. However, the road-course guru, who is tied for the Cup Series lead with four wins, is not even found in the Top 25 NASCAR betting options for the race win in Richmond on Saturday.

Instead, we’re back to the usual cast of characters with Denny Hamlin as the odds-on favorite to win the Cook Out 400. He’s followed by Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and William Byron. Joey Logano rounds out the Top 5 betting favorites for Saturday’s race.

With that said, let’s take a look at the latest NASCAR Richmond odds, courtesy of the top sports betting sites, and make our Cook Out 400 predictions for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Richmond Raceway. You can also compare my picks with what the best handicappers are choosing.

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Cook Out 400 Race Profile

Richmond Raceway has been on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar since 1958. From 1959 to 2024, the Cup Series raced twice annually at this track. However, NASCAR decided to reduce that to just one trip each year, and gave that spot to another venue.

The Cook Out 400 changed from a day race to a night race in 1991. It became only the second night race on the calendar for the Cup Series.

This beloved short-track is D-shaped with asphalt surface and a lap distance of 0.75 miles. The banking is 14 degrees in the turns, eight degrees on the frontstretch and 2 degrees on the backstretch.

Saturday’s Cook Out 400 race breaks down as follows:

• Total Miles: 300 miles
• Total Laps: 400 laps
• Stage 1: 70 laps
• Stage 2: 160 laps
• Final Stage: 170 laps

The Cook Out 400 begins at 7:30pm ET and can be seen live on the USA Network and streamed on HBO MAX.

Previous NASCAR Richmond Winners

“The King” Richard Petty holds the record for the most Cook Out 400 wins with seven. Bobby Allison is second with five wins. Of active drivers, Denny Hamlin leads the field with three wins in this event.

The following is a list of the most recent winners:

• 2024: Austin Dillon
• 2023: Chris Buescher
• 2022: Kevin Harvick
• 2021: Martin Truex Jr.
• 2020: Brad Keselowski
• 2019: Martin Truex Jr.
• 2018: Kyle Busch
• 2017: Kyle Larson
• 2016: Denny Hamlin

Ford and Chevrolet are tied for the most wins with 18 apiece. Toyota, who is favored to win this weekend, has eight victories. Joe Gibbs Racing is responsible for all eight of Toyota’s wins, which also sets the mark for the most team wins in this race. Denny Hamlin has the most wins with three.

NASCAR Richmond Odds

Check out the latest Cook Out 400 odds:

The NASCAR betting sites really did a solid job with their odds for this race. Anyone who has had success at this track in the past, is spot on with their odds. Well, there are a few exceptions and you can read more about that below.

However, Denny Hamlin and his teammate Christopher Bell are rightfully the pre-race favorites due to their success at this track. Not to forget, as said above, Joe Gibbs Racing does have the most all-time Cook Out 400 wins. Hamlin and Bell are the two best JGR drivers.

NASCAR Richmond Favorites

The following drivers are considered by oddsmakers to be the odds-on favorites to win the Cook Out 400:

Denny Hamlin +400

• Standings: 3
• Win: 4
• Top 5: 11
• Top 10: 12          

As mentioned, Hamlin is the man to beat this weekend. He sits third in the Driver Standings, but first in the Playoff Standings. Hamlin leads the Cup Series, or is tied for the lead, in wins, Top 5s, and Playoff Points. He heads to Richmond where Hamlin is one of the top drivers at this venue.

In 36 Richmond starts, Hamlin has five wins, 20 Top 5s, 24 Top 10s, and an 8.1 average finish. He’s also never not completed a race. Three of those five wins have come in the Cook Out 400.

Furthermore, Hamlin has seven Top 4s in the last eight Richmond races. Over that time, he’s tallied two wins and four runner ups. Hamlin was second last year in this race to Austin Dillon who shocked the field

On the season, Hamlin has two straight finishes of 24^th or worse. So, he’s definitely looking forward to getting back to a track he loves. I peg the #11 car as a contender for the checkered flag and should easily finish inside the Top 10.

Christopher Bell +450

• Standings: 4
• Win: 3
• Top 5: 9
• Top 10: 14

Christopher Bell might sit 4^th in the standings, one spot behind his teammate Hamlin, but the #20 car is definitely a contender this weekend and might just be the only man that can stop the #11 car.

Bell comes into this race with momentum after finishing second at Watkins Glen last weekend. It was his third Top 8 in the last five races on the season.

As for Richmond, Bell has the best average finish in the Cup Series at 7.3, which includes four Top 5s and seven Top 10s in nine starts.

Bell has two straight 6^th place results and has never finished outside of 20^th at this venue. He was runner up in this race in 2022, but did lead 122 laps last year before fading in the late laps of the race.

I also like Bell to be a contender for the checkered flag this weekend. At the very least, he should finished 6^th, which he’s done in three of his nine starts at this venue. But with the way he’s driving as of late, I think the #20 car is going to give Hamlin a run for the win.

Kyle Larson +800   

• Standings: 5
• Win: 3
• Top 5: 11
• Top 10: 14

Like Hamlin, Kyle Larson has also struggled as of late. He was 28^th in Iowa two weeks ago, and 39^th last weekend with a DNF at Watkins Glen. Prior to that, Larson was 4^th in Dover, which Hamlin won, and 2^nd in Indianapolis.

At Richmond, the parallel with Hamlin continues as Larson has also won multiple times. In 20 starts, he has two wins, five Top 5s, 10 Top 10s and a 10.7 average finish.

Larson has five Top 7s in the last seven Richmond races which includes winning the spring 2023 event at this venue. Over that span, he’s also finished in the Top 19 for all seven of those races. The #5 car was 7^th last year in the Cook Out 400 and I fully expect another Top 10 run this weekend.

However, Larson hasn’t won in three months since Kansas. He seems to be slower this year in heating up for the Playoffs than in recent years. Nevertheless, Larson is a Top 10 driver with a Top 3 ceiling.

William Byron +900

• Standings: 1
• Win: 2
• Top 5: 9
• Top 10: 13

William Byron broke out of his slump two weeks ago, so there’s always a chance that his teammate Larson can do the same this weekend. Byron won at Iowa and was 4^th in Watkins Glen last weekend.

But that’s where the excitement ends for me regarding the #24 car. In 13 Richmond starts, Byron has just one Top 5 and three Top 10s with a 15.0 average finish. He was 13^th in this race last year. His best ever Cook Out 400 finish was 11^th in 2022.

I’m fading Byron this weekend. I think his ceiling is a Top 10 finish. As long as he stays out of trouble and equals or betters his 15.0 average finish at Richmond, then Byron will remain on top of the Driver Standings.

Joey Logano +1000          

• Standings: 13
• Win: 1
• Top 5: 2
• Top 10: 6

The reigning Cup Series champion really needs to turn things around quickly. He sits 13^th in the standings and has never climbed higher than 8^th this season to date.

Joey Logano was 14^th at Watkins Glen last weekend and 9^th at Iowa two weeks ago. However, he has two DNFs in the last seven Cup races and only two Top 10s over that span as well.

In 31 Richmond starts, Logano has two wins, 14 Top 5s, 19 Top 10s, and a 10.0 average finish. So, it’s safe to say that the #22 car has been a solid driver at this venue.

Well, if he wants to get ready for the Playoffs and not enter the postseason in a hole, then he needs more than a “solid” finish this weekend.

Logano has seven Top 7s in the last nine races and was 4^th in this 2023 event. However, he finished 19^th last year in the Cook Out 400. So, which version of Logano will we get this weekend?

I’m going with the one that cracks the Top 10 and finishes around 6^th or 7^th.

Ryan Blaney +1200

• Standings: 6
• Win: 1
• Top 5: 8
• Top 10: 12

Like Byron, I am also fading Ryan Blaney’s chances of winning this race on Sunday despite his momentum over the last month. In the last four Cup Series races, Blaney has four Top 8 finishes and led laps in the last three events. Which, by the way, were three different types of tracks: speedway, short track, and road course.

Unfortunately, Blaney has just three Top 10s and a 19.5 average finish in 17 Richmond starts. His best Cook Out 400 result was 10^th in 2022. He was 11^th last year.

I think Blaney can keep the Top 10 streak going on the season, but that’s about it. His ceiling is about 8^th or 9^th this weekend. I feel more comfortable with a 10^th to 15^th spot if I were to bet on him. However, I’m skipping the #12 car on my NASCAR tickets this Saturday.

The Best NASCAR Richmond Betting Value

The following drivers are my NASCAR picks for the best betting value in the Cook Out 400 based on their previous success at Richmond Raceway:

Chase Elliott +1600

• Standings: 2
• Win: 1
• Top 5: 7
• Top 10: 12

Chase Elliott comes into Richmond with a respectable resume. He has six Top 5s, eight Top 10s, and a 10.7 average finish in 17 starts. Furthermore, he was 9^th in this race last year. In fact, he has a 9.0 average finish in his last three Cook Out 400 races.

Elliott was 26^th last weekend at Watkins Glen, which was the first time he finished outside of the Top 20 this season. So, I expect a bounce back from Elliott this weekend. Look for the #9 car to finish inside the Top 10 which is -125 odds to do so.

That line offers some value considering Elliott has finished in the Top 15 for his last 13 appearances at Richmond with eight of them being inside the Top 10.

Kyle Busch +2800

• Standings: 15
• Win: 0
• Top 5: 2
• Top 10: 7

If there’s one driver feeling the heat this weekend, it’s Kyle Busch. The former Cup champion sits 15^th in the standings, but is below the cut off line for the Playoffs. So, he pretty much needs a win to get in.

At Richmond, Busch has six wins. He also has 19 Top 5s and 28 Top 10s in 38 starts. His 7.6 average finish is second best among the Cup field.

Busch was 12^th in this race last year, but 3^rd in 2023. He has 11 Top 10s in his last 14 appearances at this venue. I think Busch’s +150 odds to finish in the Top 10 offer great value considering he has nearly a 74% Top 10 finishing rate.

For a driver desperate to win and/or finish high this weekend, he has that extra motivation and track resume to crack the Top 10 and snag us a nice payout.

The Top NASCAR Richmond Longshot

Alex Bowman (+4000) is my longshot pick for this weekend’s NASCAR Richmond race. In 17 starts at this venue, he has one win, one Top 5, and four Top 10s. Now, that’s not very impressive compared to some other drivers. But when we get into the drivers with large odds and a win, Bowman is the only one that fits the criteria.

Partly why I like him this weekend is due to his three Top 10 finishes in the last four Cup races this season, and six in the last seven Cup Series races. I think he can score us a Top 10 finish this weekend, which pays out at +220 odds.

NASCAR Richmond Predictions

Can anyone upstage the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers this weekend? It’s hard to bet that another team can disrupt the JGR train on Saturday night. In short, the answer is No.

It would be easy to rubber stamp this race with Denny Hamlin winning the 2025 Cook Out 400. However, there’s something about Christopher Bell that makes me think he’s going to win.

Bell looked strong last weekend on the road course of Watkins Glen and talked about how his team has turned the corner after some rough finishes. Sure, Bell hasn’t won in four months. However, he’s still sitting 4^th in the standings and tied for the most Top 10s, third in Playoff points, and is second in wins on the season.

Bell offers slightly better value than his teammate Hamlin. He also has the best average finish at this track.

Bet: Christopher Bell (+450)

NASCAR Richmond Prop Bets

Check out some of the top NASCAR Richmond prop bets for Saturday’s Cook Out 400:

Either To Finish In The Top 3 at Richmond

I’m going to take a different approach with this prop bet. I’m picking the veterans of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin at -110 odds. Hamlin is the pre-race favorite and Busch is one of my top value plays for Saturday’s race.  

Combined, these two have 11 wins, 39 Top 5s, and 52 Top 10s. They also both sit in the Top 3 for average finishes at this venue.

Bet: Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin (-110)

The Best Top 5 Bet for the Cook Out 400

I really like Christopher Bell for this prop bet. Yet, since I took him to win the race, I will go with Hamlin at -120 odds. For being the pre-race favorite, Hamlin’s Top 5 finishing odds offer plenty of value.

Hamlin has 20 Top 5s in 36 starts. He also has seven Top 5s in the last eight Richmond races including three in a row. He was second last year and in 2023. In fact, Hamlin has a 2.5 average finish over the last four Cook Out 400 races.

Bet: Denny Hamlin (-120)

The Best Top 10 Bet for the Cook Out 400

All of the pressure is on Kyle Busch to win or at least crack the Top 10 on Saturday night; and hope that the drivers ahead of him in the Playoff standings finish worse.

So, I like Busch’s +150 odds for a Top 10 finish because he has the desperation and the track resume. Busch has a 73.7% Top 10 finishing rate in 38 Richmond starts. He also has 11 Top 10s in his last 14 races at this venue. Busch, in his down year last season, finished 12^th in this race. He was 3^rd in 2023.

Throw a couple of 9^th place finishes in there in the prior years, and Busch has an 8.5 average finish over his last four Cook Out 400 races.

I also like Bowman, Elliott and Logano for Top 10 finishes, as well. Of those three, only Bowman (+220) offers a good payout.

Bet: Kyle Busch (+150)

Winning Manufacturer

• Toyota (+110)
• Chevrolet (+180)
• Ford (+280)

I’m rolling with Toyota for this one. Sure, Ford and Chevy are tied for the most Cook Out 400 wins with 18 apiece. However, since 2015, Toyota has six wins. They haven’t won this race since 2021, so I believe they’re due for the victory this weekend.

Bet: Toyota (+110)