Cook Out 400 picks: Denny Hamlin favored

What: Cook Out 400
When: Sunday, April 7th
Where: Martinsville Speedway, Virginia

The NASCAR Cup Series stays in Virginia for one more race on Sunday, April 7th for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Last weekend, Denny Hamlin took home top spot in Richmond at the Toyota Owners 400 and will be looking to win another here where he's been deemed a favorite. Hamlin sits at +400 odds to win outright in the spring race, but there are many others not far behind him. Martin Truex Jr is at +700 along with Christopher Bell. Ryan Blaney (+750), Kyle Larson (+850), William Byron (+1000), and Joey Logano (+1100) round out the main contenders. Continue reading for the Cook Out 400 picks.

Before we get into the analysis, odds, and predictions for this race, check out our how-to bet on NASCAR page.

Cook Out 400 Odds

Driver
Denny Hamlin	+400	+450	+400
Martin Truex Jr	+700	+700	+650
Christopher Bell	+700	+850	+700
Ryan Blaney	+750	+750	+650
Kyle Larson	+850	+800	+700
William Byron	+1000	+1200	+1100
Joey Logano	+1100	+900	+900
Ty Gibbs	+1200	+1200	+1200
Brad Keselowski	+1600	+1800	+1600
Chris Buescher	+1800	+2500	+2000

This race takes place in Ridgeway, Virginia. It was previously 500 laps but in 2022, the Cup Series shortened it to 400. 80 in stage one, 100 in stage two, and 220 in stage three. Hamlin has the most victories of any current driver at the Cook Out 400, winning in 2008, 2010, and 2015. You can understand why he's favored. Kyle Larson won last year and William Byron the season prior, therefore Hendrick Motorsports has back-to-back wins here.

Denny Hamlin (+400)

Not only has Denny Hamlin won this race three times, but he's come out victorious on five occasions overall at Martinsville. The veteran is in fantastic form at the moment too, winning two of the past three Cup Series races. Hamlin in third in the standings and clearly has boatloads of confidence in recent weeks. Pair that with his success at Martinsville and it would be almost foolish to not splash a little bit of cash on Hamlin for Sunday's event.

Martin Truex Jr (+700)

Although Truex Jr has yet to win a race in 2024 he's at the top of the standings with five top-10s and two top-fives in seven appearances. He's led for at least 50 laps in three of the last four races and it does feel like it's only a matter of time until Truex Jr finds his breakthrough and grabs a victory. There was a period from 2019-2021 where he won three of four Martinsville races. But, Truex Jr hasn't finished within the top-10 in three of his last four tries on this track. That being said, it's a bit of a toss-up as to how he'll do on Sunday. Regardless, Truex Jr is one to watch.

Christopher Bell (+700)

Bell has one win to his name in 24' and sits sixth in the Cup Series standings with three top-fives and five top-10s as well. He's only led for a total of 119 laps but does appear to be putting up consistent results. Bell was second at COTA a couple of weeks back and sixth last week in Richmond. Bell had 16th-place and seventh-place finishes in the two Martinsville races in 2023. He'll be one of several Toyota drivers in contention on Sunday.

Ryan Blaney (+750)

Blaney was 30th at Daytona 500 before three consecutive top-five finishes after that. However, he's been struggling in recent weeks, finishing in 16th, 12th, and 19th at Richmond. Although Blaney is eighth in the standings, he performed extremely well at Martinsville last season, winning once and finishing in seventh. For that reason alone, he's one to keep an eye on come Sunday because it's clearly a track where Blaney has some confidence.

Kyle Larson (+850)

Larson is never one to overlook. He drives for Hendrick Motorsports which is a benefit in itself considering their track record at Martinsville. Larson has also looked solid so far, sitting just 14 points behind Truex Jr for top spot. He has one win, three top-fives, and three top-10s. Larson came third last Sunday at Richmond. Plus, he won at Martinsville last year and came in sixth. Again, that's enough reason to keep an eye on Larson.

William Byron (+1000)

There's still a strong belief that 2024 is Byron's year to really break out. He's already won twice but his results overall haven't been the most consistent, hence why he's in seventh place. But, just 55 points separate him and Truex Jr, so things can change in a hurry. Byron won Daytona 500 and COTA before coming in seventh last Sunday at Richmond. He didn't finish above 13th in either Martinsville race last year.