2023 Cook Out Southern 500 odds, picks and predictions
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway for the 2023 Cook Out Raceway 500 Sunday night. The green flag is set to drop shortly after 6 p.m. ET (USA Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 odds, and make our expert NASCAR picks and predictions.
2023 Cook Out Southern 500: What you need to know
- Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron picked up the victory in mid-May at the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. He will start 23rd Sunday
- Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell is on the pole after posting a best speed of 169.193 mph, edging out teammate Denny Hamlin at 169.042 mph
- Hamlin leads all drivers with 4 Darlington victories and a 7.7 Average-Finish Position (AFP) with 801 laps led and 0 DNFs
- Hendrick’s Kyle Larson has 11 career starts under his belt at Darlington. While he has never won at the track, he has a 10.2 AFP, which is 2nd among all active drivers
- JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. leads all active drivers with 914 laps led at Darlington in his 22 career starts while picking up 2 wins and 10 top-10 finishes. MTJ will have to work his way up from a starting spot of 31st
- Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton finished 6th at Darlington in May. He has a respectable 13.7 AFP in his 3 Cup starts at the track. Burton goes starts 32nd Sunday
- Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley produced a top-10 finish in May, and he has ended up inside the top 20 on 3 of his 5 Cup starts at Darlington, while managing a respectable 16.6 AFP
- Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Preece went for a highlight-reel crash and tumble last weekend at Daytona. He is healthy, and starts 34th Sunday
2023 Cook Out Southern 500 – Expert pick(s)
BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:02 a.m. ET.
DENNY HAMLIN (+500) is always a safe play at Darlington. He has 4 victories in his 22 Cup starts, while 12 of his runs (54.5%) have resulted in a finish inside the top 5. Hamlin was a surprising 12th in the race in May, so he is due to bounce back, too.
If you’re looking for a contender with slightly longer odds, Team Penske driver JOEY LOGANO (+1600) is worth a look. He only has 1 checkered flag in his 19 Cup starts, but he has a respectable 13.3 AFP with 293 laps led and just 1 DNF with 10 top-10 finishes.
In addition, it would be a storybook finish if KEVIN HARVICK (+1600) was able to win in his final Darlington Cup start. He has 3 career victories at the “Track Too Tough to Tame,” and he has ended up 5th or better in 14 of his 31 starts at the track while posting a 12.4 AFP. He was a runner-up to Byron back in May and could easily challenge for checkers in his swan song.
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2023 Cook Out Southern 500 – Long shot(s)
As far as long shots go, look no further than Legacy Motor Club driver ERIK JONES (+5000). He has managed a pair of victories in his 11 career Cup starts, while ending up inside the top 5 on 5 occasions. He has led 132 laps, while managing an impressive 12.0 AFP. He struggled with a 25th-place finish in May, and is looking for the rebound.
