RADIO
Jordan's NASCAR DFS and NASCAR betting preview for Iowa. Betting odds, favorites, long shots, DFS picks, and more for the 2025 Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
Saturday night racing returns for the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend, as the Cook Out 400 is set to take place at Richmond Raceway on Saturday evening.
This will be the 25th race of the season, and the second-to-last event before the Playoffs start. Drivers that aren't locked into the postseason only have two more chances to get in.
Richmond is a 0.75-mile D-shaped oval race track that is abrasive and causes plenty of tire wear. It compares nicely to Phoenix, although Phoenix doesn't see the tire falloff. Richmond also compares to Iowa, where we just raced a couple of weeks ago, along with New Hampshire.
Weekend Schedule at Richmond
There are 400 laps scheduled for this weekend's Cook Out 400, with the first Stage set for 70 laps, the second Stage set for 160 laps, and the third and final Stage being 170 laps.
The weekend schedule for this Sunday's race at Richmond looks like this:
- Practice and Qualifying: 4:30-6:30 pm ET on Friday (broadcast on truTV)
- Start Time Green Flag for Race: 7:47 pm ET on Saturday
- Broadcast TV: USA
Pre-Race Loop Data Box Score for Richmond
Click here to download the PDF of the pre-race loop data box score.
The Favorites Heading Into the Race Weekend
Denny Hamlin (+380 to win) - It's not very surprising that Denny Hamlin is the early-week favorite to win at Richmond this weekend, his home race track. In six of the last eight races here, he's finished first or second, and in 15 of the last 18 races at this 0.75-mile track, the No. 11 Toyota has ended up in sixth or better. Hamlin should be fast this weekend and in contention to grab his fifth win of the 2025 season.
Christopher Bell (+430 to win) - If the Cup Series is at a short, flat track, you can bet that Christopher Bell is going to be in contention. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team simply has something figured out at these tracks, and Bell is in his element at them. Here at Richmond, CBell has finished sixth or better in seven of his last eight starts, and he led 122 laps in last year's event en route to a sixth-place finish.
Joey Logano (+1000 to win) - One of the most consistent drivers at Richmond Raceway is Joey Logano. He's a two-time winner here and has posted a top-five result in 14 of his 31 career starts at this track. In the Next Gen era, the only active driver with a better average driver rating than Logano at Richmond is Denny Hamlin, and the No. 22 Ford would have been in victory lane in last year's race if Austin Dillon hadn't dumped him on the last lap.
Underdogs to Keep an Eye On
Brad Keselowski (+1700 to win) - Time is running out for Brad Keselowski to make the Playoffs, but it's not like this No. 6 team isn't bringing fast race cars to the track. Keselowski had the best car at Iowa a couple of weeks ago (another short, flat track) and here at Richmond, he's posted top-10 finishes in three of the last four Next Gen races.
Chris Buescher (+2700 to win) - Sticking with the RFK camp here, Chris Buescher has a Richmond win to his credit (in 2023) and has ended up ninth or better in three of the last five races at this track. In the Next Gen era, the No. 17 Ford has the seventh-best average driver rating among active drivers. Inactive drivers that were higher than Buescher in that category were Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr, but still solid nonetheless.
Austin Dillon (+4500 to win) - We all remember how Austin Dillon won at Richmond last year, but the fact of the matter is that before that late caution, the No. 3 Chevrolet was, by far, the fastest car in that race. Richmond is one of Austin's best tracks, and he had solid speed at Iowa a couple of weeks ago--another short, flat track. It honestly wouldn't be surprising if Richard Childress Racing brought a race-winning car this weekend.
Betting Odds to Win the Cook Out 400 at Richmond
As of Wednesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had the following odds listed to win this weekend's race at Richmond Raceway.
| Driver | Odds to Win |
| Denny Hamlin | +380 |
| Christopher Bell | +430 |
| Kyle Larson | +900 |
| William Byron | +1000 |
| Joey Logano | +1000 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1200 |
| Chase Elliott | +1400 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1400 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1700 |
| Tyler Reddick | +2500 |
| Chris Buescher | +2700 |
| Ross Chastain | +2700 |
| Josh Berry | +2700 |
| Kyle Busch | +3000 |
| Alex Bowman | +3500 |
| Bubba Wallace | +3500 |
| Carson Hocevar | +4500 |
| Austin Dillon | +4500 |
| Ryan Preece | +5000 |
| Ty Gibbs | +5000 |
| Corey Heim | +7500 |
| Austin Cindric | +10000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +10000 |
| Erik Jones | +15000 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +17500 |
| Michael McDowell | +25000 |
| Noah Gragson | +25000 |
| Shane van Gisbergen | +30000 |
| Todd Gilliland | +35000 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +35000 |
| Zane Smith | +35000 |
| Jesse Love | +35000 |
| Riley Herbst | +50000 |
| Justin Haley | +50000 |
| Cole Custer | +50000 |
| Cody Ware | +50000 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +50000 |
| Ty Dillon | +50000 |
More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis
The Keys to Weekly NASCAR Success
NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller! Our NASCAR Premium Package for DFS and betting features several heavy hitters and proven winners.
Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.
Five-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team. He has been nominated once again in 2024 for this award.
