Figuring out how to successfully navigate online NASCAR betting earlier in the season can be a difficult proposition. You're dealing with a very small sample size that may be a telltale of nothing other than a few surprise blips.
However, if you dig deep enough, you can also use the first part of the schedule to your advantage. That's what we'll be attempting to do ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Toyota Owners 400, which will take place on Sunday, April 3, at 3 p.m. EST, inside the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.
Before we get waist-deep into our latest 2022 NASCAR predictions, here are the current odds to win the Toyota Owners 400:
Definitely make sure you're confirming these NASCAR betting odds prior to selecting your driver to win. These NASCAR betting lines are accurate entering Thursday, March 17, and will continue shifting right up until the opening lap of the Toyota Owners 400. More specifically, you'll want to double-check all NASCAR odds following the outcome of the 2022 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, which will be taking place on Sunday, March 20.
Lastly, with so much time to go before the Toyota Owners 400, you should consider checking out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. These in-depth dives can help you spot the best 2022 NASCAR betting sites, as well as the most attractive promotions. If you read over our review of the BetOnline sportsbook, for example, you'll notice they're offering up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus for all new customers.
And with all this in mind, we now move on to the meat and potatoes of our best bets for the 2022 Toyota Owners 400. Is Kyle Larson still the driver to beat? Is Alex Bowman capable of repeating as the first-place finisher? Should you give special consideration to Kyle Busch? We've got all the answers.
Should Kyle Larson be the Favorite to Win the 2022 Toyota Owners 400?
It took Kyle Larson (+1000) longer than it did last season for him to pick up his first victory, but he nevertheless did it without letting too much time pass. The 2021 NASCAR Series Champion grabbed the win at the Wise Power 40 on February 27, in the fifth race of the season.
If you're expecting him to drop off, or if you're already assuming he'll fail to match last year's utter dominance, you might want to check yourself. Larson has two top-five finishes and has landed inside the top 10 of every race so far this season.
Not surprisingly, he also sits up atop the current 2022 NASCAR standings. So, yeah, you'll want to consider him a threat to win—just like always.
Is Alex Bowman a Threat to Repeat as Toyota Owners 400 Champion?
Alex Bowen (+1600) won the 2021 Toyota Owners 400. And normally, you'd see the reigning first-place finisher curry extreme favor from oddsmakers.
That's not happening here. Sportsbook operators appear to view Bowman as hit or miss, and it's tough to fault them. He has just one top-10 finish through five races this season and was similarly feast or famine during the 2021 campaign.
Still, there are worse things than racing at an all-or-nothing pace. Bowman scooped up four victories, tying him with Martin Truex Jr. (+1600) for the second-most first-places in NASCAR, trailing only Larson himself.
REMEMBER: Kyle Bush is a Toyota Owners 400 Stud
Kyle Busch (+1400) has fallen off a lot of radars over the past couple of years. We're not entirely sure that's fair.
Victories are hard to come by for the veteran wheelman; he had just two all of last season. But he still finished tied for fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, pitting him alongside Chase Elliott (+1200) and Denny Hamlin (+1200).
Even if you're wary of Busch's overall stock, though, you need to consider him a genuine contender at the Toyota Owners 400. He has won the race four times over the course of his career, which is more than any active driver, and his most recent victory came not too long ago, in 2018.
Official 2022 Toyota Owners 400 Prediction
Don't sleep on Chase Briscoe (+1800) in this field. He's working off a victory at Ruoff Mortgage 500 and, like Larson, has bagged a top-10 finish in every single race this season. Not many others can say the same.
And yet, we can't bring ourselves to go against the Big Cheese himself. Larson continues to drive with the confidence of a champion, and if anything, his technique on later laps and when passing from the outside has improved relative to last season. He's our bet to win.
OSB Prediction: Kyle Larson (+100)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your 2022 NASCAR betting:
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