The 2022 playoffs have been the most unpredictable in recent NASCAR history. Each of the first three races have been won by drivers who didn’t qualify for the playoffs, prior to this year that’s happened just once since the field expanded to 16. Yet, sportsbooks continue to hammer those drivers still in the chase for the championship with Denny Hamlin leading the way.
Hamlin is given +550 odds, or an implied 15.4% chance to win the race. He’s followed by Kyle Larson, +600, Christopher Bell, +700, and Chase Elliott, +800, all of whom are given better than a 10% chance to win the race. They’re joined by recently eliminated driver Kyle Busch at +850, or an implied 10.5% chance.
Busch isn’t the only driver eliminated inside the top-10. Martin Truex Jr remains a favorite at +1000. Recently eliminated Tyler Reddick is also in the mix at +1500. Bubba Wallace is 11th at +1700, those are better odds than Joey Logan, Daniel Suarez, and Alex Bowman are given.
Quote from OddsChecker spokesman Kyle Newman, “These playoffs have been crazy, but sportsbooks are trying to stay rational. Denny Hamlin has been excellent in the playoffs with two second place finishes and a 9th place, so he stands at the top of the market. Christopher Bell has finished top-5 in every race. Eliminated drivers may be better than ever this year, but the two drivers left standing are around for a reason.”
AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK 500 WINNER
| Driver | Odds | Implied chance |
| Denny Hamlin | +550 | 15.4% |
| Kyle Larson | +600 | 14.3% |
| Christopher Bell | +700 | 12.5% |
| Chase Elliott | +800 | 11.1% |
| Kyle Busch | +850 | 10.5% |
| Ross Chastain | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | 9.1% |
| William Byron | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Tyler Reddick | +1500 | 6.3% |
— OddsChecker —