NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 Odds, Predictions & Best Bets At Darlington Raceway

Embattled NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon lost his playoff qualifying appeal, but retained his Richmond Raceway victory.

Series officials announced Monday the ruling body upheld its decision to strip Dillon of his playoff eligibility, citing Rule 12.3.2.1.B “more likely than not” developed during the final turn as Dillon took out race leader Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to earn the Aug. 11 checkered flag.

The rule states that “race finishes must be unencumbered by violations of the NASCAR rules or other actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR, as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.”

Dillon retained the Cook Out 400 title and prize money, but was denied a spot in the playoffs that start at Atlanta on Sept. 8 and docked 25 points. Dillon’s spotter, Brandon Benesch, was initially suspended three races for suggesting Dillon should “wreck him,” referring to Hamlin. Benesch’s penalty was reduced to one race.

Dillon, who sits 29th in the points standings, will need a win to join the postseason field.

Below, we’ll preview the top storylines heading into Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500, go over the odds, and give our best bets for the 26th and final regular-season race on the 2024 NASCAR schedule.

Cook Out Southern 500 Storylines

• Harrison Burton is losing his Wood Brothers Racing ride at the end of the season. His first career win at Daytona on Saturday certainly will enhance his racing resume.
• Cody Ware proved to be another underdog story at Daytona. His P4 matched his career best finish and marked Rick Ware Racing’s first top-five finish since 2020.
• Keeping with the theme of unsung pilots, Parker Retzlaff, making his second Cup start, provided Burton with the winning push off the overtime start. Retzlaff, an Xfinity Series regular, ended up placing P7.

Cook Out Southern 500 Driver Odds

Here is an early look at the drivers’ odds for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:

Driver

NASCAR Cup Series’ Cook Out Southern 500 Odds

Denny Hamlin +550

Kyle Larson +550

Tyler Reddick +550

Brad Keselowski +900

William Byron +900

Ty Gibbs +1000

Martin Truex Jr. +1100

Christopher Bell +1200

Ryan Blaney +1600

Joey Logano +1600

Kyle Busch +1600

Chris Buescher +1800

Chase Elliott +2000

Ross Chastain +2200

Bubba Wallace +2500

Erik Jones +3300

Alex Bowman +5000

Josh Berry +5000

Chase Briscoe +6600

Noah Gragson +8000

Michael McDowell +10000

Austin Cindric +10000

Todd Gilliland +10000

Shane van Gisbergen +10000

Daniel Suarez +12500

Austin Dillon +15000

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +15000

Justin Haley +20000

Corey LaJoie +20000

Carson Hocevar +25000

John Hunter Nemechek +30000

Ryan Preece +30000

Harrison Burton +30000

Zane Smith +50000

Daniel Hemric +100000

Timmy Hill +100000

Kaz Grala +100000

*Odds through Tuesday

Cook Out Southern 500 Predictions and Picks

Here are our best NASCAR Cup Series bets for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway:

Denny Hamlin (+550)

Attempting to recapture his mid-season magic, Hamlin, one of the three betting favorites, returns to a track where he compiled four top-fives, including a win, and 386 laps led since 2021. His recent team penalty may have cost him a chance at a regular-season points title, but he is attempting to regain postseason momentum.

Ty Gibbs (+1000)

The second-year pilot capped Saturday’s effort with a P5. It marked the second time this season Gibbs collected back-to-back top-fives. In four Cup outings at Darlington, he compiled two top-10s.

Kyle Busch (+1600)

Busch may not appear to be a favorite at Darlington, a track where he has registered just one top-10 in his past seven starts. But the two-time Cup champion needs a win to qualify for the playoffs. He has qualified each season since 2012.