We’re once race away from the championship race. With the Xfinity 500 the final race before the final cutdown of the season, all eyes are going to be on those middle tier playoff drivers. Sportsbooks expect one of them to jump the pack and leave with the one.
Chase Elliott is currently third place in the standings, and in serious danger of being cut, yet he’s the favorite to win the race. Elliott is given +600 odds by BetMGM, or an implied 14.3% chance to come out on top. If it’s not him, sportsbooks like fifth place Denny Hamlin with +700 odds, or an implied 12.5% chance. Sixth place Ryan Blaney is third on the market at +800, tied with fourth place driver William Byron. In fact, for the first time this playoffs, the top six spots on the betting market are all held by playoff drivers, as current leader Joey Logano also slots in at +900.
However, it’s not all sunshine for the playoff drivers. Ross Chastain and Christopher Bell are both given +1400 odds to win the race. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe is given +3300 odds, as he looks to stave off elimination.
Quote from OddsChecekr spokesman Kyle Newman, “It should come as no surprise that the market believes that the drivers with the most to gain, and lose, are the ones who are expected to fight over the win. Just one or two places could be the deciding factor in whether or not these guys get to fight for a championship after all. Again, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that sportsbooks are favoring the guys with the most experience among them, Elliott has a championship win, and Hamlin has a 2nd place finish. Will the sportsbooks backing in experience work again?”
XFINITY 500 WINNER
| Driver | Odds | Implied chance |
| Chase Elliott | +600 | 14.3% |
| Denny Hamlin | +700 | 12.5% |
| Ryan Blaney | +800 | 11.1% |
| William Byron | +800 | 11.1% |
| Joey Logano | +900 | 10.0% |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1000 | 9.1% |
| Kyle Larson | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Christopher Bell | +1400 | 6.7% |
| Kyle Busch | +1400 | 6.7% |
| Ross Chastain | +1400 | 6.7% |
— OddsChecker —