Dean Etheridge
The second race of the 2022 NASCAR playoffs takes place at Kansas Speedway this weekend, and with Joe Gibbs Racing drivers favored by the sportsbooks, we look at their chances of winning in our Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR betting picks.
Points are crucial now, and after this weekend’s race, there is only one more event before four drivers are eliminated ahead of the Round of 12. This means mistakes are punished, and there aren’t many second chances remaining, so nerves will play a part from here on in.
Denny Hamlin will be the driver most frustrated after the previous week’s action. He was within a whisker of winning at Darlington and taking his place in the Round of 12 at the first time of asking. So let’s take a quick look back at last weekend’s race and see what happened.
What happened in the Cook Out Southern 500 last weekend?
Last weekend’s race was the opening event of the 2022 playoffs, the Cook Out Southern 500. And in keeping with the season so far, there was another unlikely winner as Erik Jones took the chequered flag, holding off a late charge from Denny Hamlin.
Make that Two-Time #Southern500 Winner, @Erik_Jones! pic.twitter.com/cu5fWpgWFW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 5, 2022
The win for Jones was his first of the 2022 season. It was also his second at Darlington, having won the corresponding race in 2019. This was when he was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, so it was no surprise to see JGR drivers in the hunt last week, with Denny Hamlin finishing just 0.252 seconds behind Jones.
Hamlin was on the charge and must have felt he was on course for victory and the Round of 12. So, falling agonizingly short must have been a real kick in the teeth for him.
And it wasn’t just Hamlin who was in good form at Darlington last week, his Joe Gibbs teammate Kyle Busch had led the race for 155 laps, but was forced to retire when his engine blew on the final restart.
2022 Hollywood Casino 400; All you need to know
This race has been part of the NASCAR Cup Series since it was added to the roster in 2001. The circuit is a 1.5-mile-long tri-oval and hosts two Cup Series events a season.
- Race; Hollywood Casino 400
- Venue; Kansas Speedway, Kansas
- When; Sunday, September 11th, 2022
- Green Flag Time; 3 pm ET
- Laps; 267
- Distance; 400 Miles
The winner of this race last year was Kyle Larson. Larson is not only defending the title he won here last year, but also the driver’s championship he won in 2021.
He will have to compete with the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, who are expected to do well here on Sunday, and Joey Logano, who has won this race on three occasions. Larson can take heart from the fact that his team, Hendrick Motorsports is the most successful at this circuit, having won this race on six occasions.
Who is the betting favorite to win the 2022 Hollywood Casino 400?
As we’ve already alluded to, the Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are in decent form. This form, along with their record at this weekend’s venue, has played a part in the best NASCAR betting sites making them the joint favorites to win this Sunday.
Both Hamlin and Busch are +600 with BetOnline, with last year’s race winner, Kyle Larson next at +800. That’s the same odds as his teammate, Chase Elliott, and Martin Truex Jr.
| 2022 NASCAR Hollywood Casino 400 Betting |  |  |
| Denny Hamlin | +600 | +600 |
| Kyle Busch | +600 | +625 |
| Kyle Larson | +800 | +750 |
| Chase Elliott | +800 | +750 |
| Martin Truex Jr | +800 | +900 |
| Ross Chastain | +1000 | +1000 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1100 | +1050 |
| William Byron | +1200 | +1400 |
| Christopher Bell | +1200 | +1300 |
| Kevin Harwick | +1400 | +1700 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1600 | +1700 |
| Joey Logano | +1800 | +1600 |
Although he’s not the favorite to win the race this weekend, Chase Elliott (+240) is still the outright favorite to win the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series. He is still well clear of Hendrick teammate and defending champion, Kyle Larson (+700), with Denny Hamlin (+800) and Ross Chastain (+850) on the tail of the 2021 champion.
2022 Hollywood Casino 400 Betting Picks
There are quite a few leads we can follow for our NASCAR betting picks this weekend. There is the form of the Joe Gibbs drivers, the winning record of Joey Logano in this race, and the record of Hendrick Motorsports on this circuit.
This weekend I’m going to hedge. And for my first pick, I’m going to ignore all of my above guidelines and go for an in-form driver who drives for Big Machine Racing.
Tyler Reddick + 1100
Reddick has been in good form in recent weeks. He managed another podium finish last Sunday – finishing third at Darlington, and he was second the previous week in Daytona.
Reddick won at Indianapolis at the end of July, and he has been very strong in the second half of the season. So I think at +1100, Tyler Reddick is a worthwhile first pick.
Joey Logano +1800
Both these bets could get trumped by a Hendrick driver, so let’s just put this out there. But at +1800 with BetOnline, how can we not back Joey Logano?
He has three wins in this race, and to say I would be kicking myself if he wins on Sunday and I haven’t wagered on him, will be an understatement. At +1800, Joey Logano is my second Hollywood Casino 400 betting pick.
Don’t forget to check out our BetOnline sportsbook review for more great betting offers.
