Cup Series leader Larson tops AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Odds
Hendrick Motorsports driver looking for win number two in 2024
Last week’s NASCAR Cup Series race saw history made for one of its most iconic teams. William Byron stormed up from 18th to win his third race of the season and lead a Hendrick Motorsports 1-2-3.
Teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott rounded out the top three for a feat the team’s never reached.
There’s no reason for the success to stop this week in Texas as Hendrick Motorsports drivers lead the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Odds.
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AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Odds: Favorites in Fort Worth
Kyle Larson (+400)
Larson started on pole position for the second weekend in a row in Martinsville. He won the first stage wire-to-wire but lost some positions in the second stage and couldn’t hold off a charging Byron from the win.
Larson now leads the championship by 14 points thanks to a Stage One win and top-three finish in consecutive weeks.
He’s been the top man in NASCAR qualifying of late, too, but typically struggled in Texas with as many DNFs (four) as top-10 finishes in his last 10 races there. He did win from pole position in 2021 but, looking at his results overall, he’s very inconsistent for a favorite.
William Byron (+600)
Things are looking up for Byron in 2024. After a third-place finish in the championship last season, he’s won three times in just eight races. It took him until mid-May to win three events in 2023. They’ve been convincing wins, too, as he led the most laps in two of them.
The Texas Motor Speedway is one of his best events on the calendar. Byron’s raced there nine times and managed five top-10 results, including a win last time out in the playoffs. He’ll likely be in for a good result, but a third win in four races could be a lot to ask.
Denny Hamlin (+700)
Hamlin won Stage Two in Martinsville but pitted later than the Hendrick Motorsports drivers and ended up 11th. He’s still in solid positioning in the NASCAR standings, though, sitting third and just 17 points behind Larson.
Hamlin’s consistently qualified well in Texas but that hasn’t translated to top results. His average starting position over the last 10 races there (fifth) is by far the best among active drivers. But he’s managed just one win and another top-five result in that span. He’s started 10th or better in his last 10 races there but has consistently dropped down the order by the chequered flag. History is not on his side this week.
Tyler Reddick (+700)
Reddick’s among the favorites for the second time this season. He’s strung together good results recently with fifth in Austin, 10th in Richmond, and seventh in Martinsville. This run has him in the top 10 of the championship.
His track record in Fort Worth is mixed over just five career races at Texas Motor Speedway. The first Cup Series event he entered there saw him finish second from 24th on the grid. He finished 15th his next time out and then ninth in 2021. In 2022, he won this event from fourth on the grid, but he finished 25th last season. He’s shown pace there but equal amounts of inconsistency.
Ryan Blaney (+900)
Blaney got back in the top five in Martinsville for the fourth time this season. His title defense is solid so far and the Team Penske driver is fifth in the standings.
Blaney’s track record at Texas Motor Speedway is also solid but unspectacular. In fifteen career NASCAR races, he has had eight top-10 results but no wins. His best result came in the 2018 playoff race, when he started first and finished second. He’s come close multiple times but has yet to break through for a win.
Sleepers this week
Christopher Bell (+1200)
Bell’s off to an inconsistent start in 2024. Top-three results in Daytona (third), Phoenix (first), and Austin (second) are offset by rough finishes in Atlanta (34th), Las Vegas (33rd), and Martinsville (35th). Luckily, this week is one of his better venues on the NASCAR schedule.
He has just five career Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway but finished in the top five in three of them. Last year, he finished fourth after starting ninth on the grid. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at the front again.
Joey Logano (+2000)
Eventually, Logano will pay off for bettors in 2024. The two-time Cup Series champion is improving with two top-six results in a row for the first time this NASCAR season. Second in Austin and sixth in Martinsville, rise him up the NASCAR standings to 14th.
Logano’s one of the best drivers in Fort Worth in recent memory. Only Chase Briscoe has a better average finish in the last 10 events than him. Logano’s made the top 10 seven times in that span, second-most to Blaney. A win is coming and this is another week in which he could end up in victory lane.
Chase Briscoe (+8000)
He’s one of the longer shots this week, but Briscoe’s NASCAR results at Texas Motor Speedway are encouraging. Three Cup Series races aren’t much but he’s managed 15th, fifth, and 10th in those races. In the Xfinity Series, Briscoe notched two top-five finishes in four career races there.
Briscoe’s sole Cup Series win came in Phoenix in 2022. He could surprise and add one to that list this week.
AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Odds: Picks
Eight races into the season, and we’re getting a clear picture of the 2024 championship fight. Larson, Martin Truex Jr., and Hamlin are firmly at the top with a group of drivers behind them. That order could change around this weekend.
Of the favorites, Reddick looks like the best bet. He’s contended for victory multiple times in 2024, and this week brings the grid to a track where he’s won before. Of the sleepers, Bell could surprise on Sunday. We like Reddick (+140), Byron (+130), Bell (+175), Briscoe (+850), and Hamlin (+140) to make up the top five positions.
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