Eric Uribe
The upcoming Xfinity 500 on Halloween is NASCAR’s penultimate race. At the moment the betting odds are close across the board, though Martin Truex Jr. odds-on favorite to win NASCAR Xfinity 500 race (barely).
Eight drivers remain in contention for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series title. Not surprisingly, those eight drivers have the best NASCAR betting odds to win on Sunday. Here’s the betting line each is getting currently:
| Driver |  |  |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +450 | +450 |
| Kyle Larson | +500 | +500 |
| Chase Elliott | +600 | +600 |
| Denny Hamlin | +650 | +650 |
| Ryan Blaney | +700 | +700 |
| Kyle Busch | +800 | +800 |
| Joey Logano | +850 | +850 |
| Brad Keselowski | +900 | +900 |
2021 Xfinity 500 Preview
The Martinsville Speedway in Richmond, Virginia will play hosts for this critical race. This is the second go-round for NASCAR at the track. Earlier this year in mid-April, Truex Jr. won the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 (try to say this sponsored race really fast five times). It’s one reason why he’s favorited to come out on top here more than six months later.
Among drivers remaining in the playoff picture, Denny Hamlin has had the most all-time success at Martinsville. He’s taken the checkered flag five times — however, the most recent win was way back in 2015. Other multiple-year winners that are among the “final 8” are Kyle Busch (two career wins here) and Brad Keselowski (also two victories). For what it’s worth, race favorites like Kyle Larson or Chase Elliot have never taken first before here.
The Xfinity 500 marks the last race of the Round of 8 playoff stage. At the conclusion of the event, whoever the bottom-four drivers are in the playoff standings will be eliminated from championship contention. At the moment, these four drivers are facing elimination (ordered from fifth to eighth) — Ryan Blaney, Truex Jr., Keselowski, and Joey Logano. Each needs a strong result on Sunday to stave off elimination.
The only driver sitting pretty right now in the Cup Series is Larson. He won the previous two Round of 8 races, earning him an automatic bid into the championship finale. A win in Martinsville from another playoff driver not named Larson would also vault them into the “final four”, which goes down in Phoenix the week after on November 7. In that winner-take-all race, whichever driver finishes the highest will score the Cup Series title.
2021 Xfinity 500 Betting Predictions
When it comes to motorsports that involve crowded racing fields, we rarely ever just bet on one driver to outright win. It’s a “numbers game” and going all-in on one car is risky business. After all, there are 40 different drivers in the competition that can win it all. We like betting with at least two different drivers and for Martinsville, our money is going to these two drivers above everyone else:
Martin Truex Jr.
This is the “easy” bet, but it’s also the most reasonable bet. Truex Jr. has dominated at Martinsville as of late. He’s won three of the last four events held here. Moreover, he’s placed top-5 in six of the previous eight races here. Those performances clearly show he has an edge at Martinsville and that alone warrants a bet.
But if you need one more reason to wager alongside Truex Jr. it’s that he NEEDS a big performance on Sunday. Like we said earlier, his back is against the wall. Without a big finish in Martinsville, he could very well be eliminated from the Cup Series. We believe Truex Jr. will rise to the occasion on a track that’s a favorite of his.
Denny Hamlin
We said it earlier and we’ll say it again: no one has won at Martinsville more among actives than Hamlin. And while yes, none of his five wins are in the past five years, Hamlin has remained knocking on the door. In his last six events at Martinsville, Hamlin has four top-5 finishes.
Heck, even at the aforementioned Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 in the spring, Hamlin should’ve won — not Truex Jr. You see, Hamlin actually led for 276 laps, the most of any driver. However, his car began to fade toward the finish and ended up in third instead. Nonetheless, we like Hamlin’s success, both recent and historical, at Martinsville and we’re backing him with our second bet.
How To Watch The 2021 Xfinity 500 Race
On Halloween day, before the costumes come on, before the trick-or-treaters arrive, before the scary movie is put on, the Xfinity 500 race goes down. It’s an early start time too so your Halloween plans won’t be greatly affected. The race starts at 2 pm EST and per usual, will last about three hours.
For those inside the United States, the only way to watch the Xfinity 500 on television is through ABC. The network will have exclusive race coverage all day and that includes pre-race and post-event too. With how much is on the line at the Xfinity 500 — both for the playoff drivers and bettors like yourself — the race is almost “appointment” viewing.
How To Bet NASCAR Playoffs & Championships
You have two more chances to make money on NASCAR betting, then you won’t have another opportunity until February. If you’re looking for a trusty sportsbook to finish the racing season strong, then you should begin with the betting sites listed underneath. These bookies will have all the NASCAR odds for the final two decisive events. Give them a look before Sunday’s race goes off!
