Toyota Owners 400 Odds: Can William Byron Make it Three Wins in 2023?

Hendrick Motorsports Driver Favored for Third Win

A new week, a new championship leader. Tyler Reddick earned just his fourth career win by taking the top step in Austin. Alex Bowman now leads the 2023 Cup Series standings after a third-place finish in Austin at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Bowman now has a fairly slim 15-point lead over second-place Ross Chastain.

Now, the Cup Series heads to Virginia for this season’s first race in Richmond. Here’s a look at who’s leading the NASCAR odds for victory Sunday at the short track oval:

Two-Time Winner Leads the Top Group

William Byron (+600) already has two Cup Series wins this season in Las Vegas and Phoenix. Thanks to his fifth-place finish last weekend, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has jumped up to third in the 2023 NASCAR standings. He comes to Richmond on the upswing after disappointment in Atlanta the week before.

He’s been solid in nine career Cup Series races in Richmond. A podium in last year’s first Richmond event marks his best result there.

Kevin Harvick also sits at +600 for this weekend’s race in Richmond. The short-track oval is one of his strongest events. In 43 career Cup Series races, he’s totaled four wins, including the last race in Richmond. At this event last year, he finished second. There are few races to feel safer about betting on Harvick than Richmond.

Kyle Larson rounds out the trio at the top at +600 as well. Larson is still looking for his first win of the 2023 Cup Series season. A 14th-place finish last week has him back in the top 10 of the standings. Like Byron, he’s solid if unspectacular at Richmond.

Sixteen career Cup races have seen him finish 11th on average with one win (2017) and seven top-10 finishes. But he’s shown pace there with three pole positions at Richmond (2014, 2021, 2022).

Joe Gibbs Racing Trio Close Behind for Win at Toyota Owners 400

After that group of three drivers, Christopher Bell is next at +775. Bell’s only been in the Cup Series for three seasons but Richmond is his best track, on average. In five races, he’s been outside the top 10 just once. He’s performed well slightly better on short tracks compared to other formats in his career.

Another factor in his case is the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Of the last nine Richmond Raceway events dating back to 2018, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have six wins.

Teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin are tied with the next-best odds at +800. Truex Jr. is one of the best drivers in recent memory at Richmond. He’s totaled three wins in the last four years, the latest coming in 2021. If there’s a driver that knows how to win in Richmond, it’s Truex Jr.

Hamlin won this event last season and, like Bell, shines at Richmond. In 32 career races there, he’s finished in the top five more than half of the time. Three pole positions and four wins in his career make it one of the best places to back Hamlin for victory. With the Joe Gibbs Racing track record behind him, he’s a safe bet at +800.

Long Shots to Consider for Toyota Owners 400

Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (+1000) is putting together a solid bounce-back season in 2023. After finishing 13th in 2022, he’s off to his best start since his last championship season in 2019. A win in Fontana, top-10 results in Phoenix and Atlanta, and a podium last week in Austin have him in the top four of the standings in his first season with Richard Childress racing.

Richmond is Busch’s best track on the calendar. He’s won six of his 34 races there and finished in the top five 18 times. Over his career, Busch has shined brighter at short tracks. This could be a good opportunity for him to secure his spot in the Cup Series playoffs once again.

If you want to keep in line with Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty Gibbs (+6600) could be worth it. That’s some of the longest odds in the field but he has a team that’s raced well in Richmond. He also’s raced well there himself. His title-winning Xfinity Series campaign last year saw a pole and win.

The year before saw him finish seventh but lead the most laps. He’s a long shot but could be a low-risk, high-reward choice.

Predictions for Toyota Owners 400

The NASCAR Cup Series is in Richmond for the first event there of the season. Many drivers have had career success at the short-track oval. With the recent success of Joe Gibbs Racing, we’re going with Truex Jr. It’d be his first win there in two years but he’s been one of the most successful performers there in the last five years.

If you’re looking for a better payout, his teammate Gibbs is a great choice. But Busch is having a great season so far and winning a seventh career race there would continue his rejuvenating 2023 campaign. Stay tuned right here all season long for the latest Cup Series betting odds.

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