Eric Uribe
The third-to-last NASCAR event of the year goes down at the Kansas Speedway with big-time implications on the Cup Series title race. Here’s a complete look at the looming Hollywood Casino 400 race, plus our very own NASCAR playoffs at Kansas betting predictions!
Online sportsbooks have betting odds available for every driver competing at the Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas City. However, the below names are currently the most favored to take the checkered flag:
| Driver |  |  |
| Kyle Larson | +240 | +240 |
| Denny Hamlin | +550 | +550 |
| Kyle Busch | +600 | +600 |
| Chase Elliott | +800 | +800 |
| William Byron | +900 | +900 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | +1000 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1100 | +1100 |
The betting favorites should come as no surprise. All drivers listed above, sans William Byron, remain in the NASCAR playoff picture that’s made up of eight drivers. More on that ongoing title hunt shortly.
2021 Hollywood Casino 400 Preview
As you’d expect with any speedway, the track at Kansas is fast. Blazing fast, in fact. It’s one of the faster tracks in the entire NASCAR circuit over its 1.5-mile tri-oval layout. This will actually be the second race at the Kansas Speedway this year.
The first was the Busch’s McBusch Race 400 back on May 2. That earlier competition was won by Kyle Busch, hence why he has the third-best betting odds to win this coming Sunday. However, for most of that race, Larson was actually upfront (he led 132 of the 267 laps) but a late crash spiraled him into a 19th-place finish.
Larson’s previous performance here partly justifies why he’s the big-time betting favorite — +210 better than the next-closest competitor — at the coming race. Moreover, most of the other current betting favorites didn’t place all that well back in May. Here’s where they finished: Hamlin (12), Elliott (5), Bryon (9), Blaney (21), and Truex Jr. (6).
This is the second of three playoff races that are part of the Round of 8 stage. The previous one, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 in Texas, was won by Larson. With the win, Larson is the only driver guaranteed to be among the “final four” championship contenders. Everyone else has this next race and the following Xfinity 500 (happening in Martinsville) to stave off elimination.
At the conclusion of Martinsville, the bottom-four drivers based on the playoff points standings will be eliminated. At the moment, these drivers are on the brink of elimination (ordered from fifth to eighth place): Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Truex Jr., and Joey Logano. This all sets up a near do-or-die race in Kansas City on Sunday, October 24.
Best Bets To Win 2021 NASCAR Hollywood Casino 400
As we typically do with unpredictable motorsports that have huge betting fields, we “spread the wealth” rather than “put all our eggs in one basket.” It’s the smart thing to do when one tiny crash can derail a driver’s chances of winning. With that said, we’re placing two different bets on drivers to win in Kansas. Here are the two we’re most confident in:
Kyle Larson
Thus far, the NASCAR playoffs have been a two-man show between Larson and Hamlin. The former has three outright victories, while the latter is at two. Either one would be solid bets in Kansas, but we’re leaning more toward Hamilton.
Here’s exactly why: Hamiln has had plenty of success in Kansas before. He’s won here three times total, including back-to-back victories in 2019 and 2020. There’s just something about a 1.5-mile track that consistently brings out Hamlin’s best.
Plus, Hamlin is more desperate for a big performance on Sunday than Larson. Hamlin is currently third in the standings and only nine points ahead of the fateful fifth spot that will miss the championship cut. Given all the circumstances, we believe Hamlin has a strong chance at taking the checkered flag in Kansas City.
Ryan Blaney
Surely but quietly, Blaney has stormed to second in the NASCAR playoff standings. That comeback has come through consistent performance after consistent performance the past two months.
Dating back to the FireKeepers Casino 400, here’s where Blaney has finished at every race: 1, 1 (again), 22, 10, 4, 5, 15, 9, and 6. He’s practically a lock to finish top-10 — which is an available prop bet at some bookmakers.
But we’re going the “extra mile” and betting Blaney to win straight up. Unlike Hamlin, he doesn’t have a solid track record at Kansas but his momentum in the sport as of late is enough to warrant a bet with us. Our wager on him won’t be as big as Hamlin, but at +1000 odds, it doesn’t need to be to get a solid payday.
How To Bet 2021 NASCAR Playoffs Online
To place a bet on the next NASCAR playoff race (or the two after), then visit one of the online sportsbooks featured below. When it comes to betting on motorsports — whether that’s NASCAR, Formula 1, or MotoGP — these bookies are among the “best in the business.” Plenty of odds and at reasonable prices, too. Plus, this is one of your last opportunities to make money off NASCAR betting with the season finishing up on November 7. There won’t be another chance to cash in on NASCAR until February.
Heck, your next bet could be “on the house” too! You see, the betting sites below offer sign-up bonuses to first-time players. These bonuses are worth hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play. To get your free money, just find a deal that best suits you using our table below. Then hit the corresponding “play now” and boom, you’re on your way to earning free cash!
