NASCAR At Martinsville: Cup Odds, Predictions, and Best Bets

NASCAR Cup driver Kyle Larson commanded the strongest car early in the Food City Dirt Race last Sunday. Christopher Bell deployed the strongest game plan, leading to a trip to Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway.

While Larson ended up enduring the wrath of Ryan Preece, who took out the experienced dirt driver and forced the 2021 Cup champion into a 35-place finish. Bell, meanwhile, bypassed a Stage 2 pit stop and remained on the track. He slipped into the lead and paced the field for the final 100 laps, clinching a trip to the postseason.

Now that the Cup series returns to a concrete track, will Larson avoid Preece this time around?

Can Bell continue to rise up the driver rankings? 

Below, we’ll preview the top storylines heading into Sunday’s NOCO 400, go over the odds, and give our best bets for the ninth race on the NASCAR calendar.

F.U.N.

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— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2023

2023 NOCO 400 Storylines

• How will Joey Logano rebound from a dirty last-place finish last Sunday? The defending points champ was the first to exit, after 96 laps.
• How many more penalties will William Byron face this season? He is among the favorites this week at Martinsville Speedway.
• Tyler Reddick hinted he was positioned to overtake Bell on the final lap of last Sunday’s race. But the runner-up never had a chance when a race official waved a last-lap caution flag.

At least Reddick’s young son caught up with him …

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— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2023

NOCO 400 Driver Odds

Here is an early look at the top drivers’ odds from one of the top online sportsbooks:

*Odds current at time of publication

The 4️⃣7️⃣ is finding its groove! @StenhouseJr has collected three top 10s so far in 2023. The team only had five all of last season. pic.twitter.com/C8k2jX4p9P

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2023

NOCO 400 Predictions and Picks

Here are our top longshot NASCAR bets for the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway:

Aric Almirola (+4000)

Despite a disappointing finish last week on dirt, Almirola had a strong car. He just made too many mistakes, placing 31st. Is he reconsidering his retirement plans?

Austin Dillon (+5000)

Dillon drove a smart, defensive race on dirt. While he never seriously threatened to take the lead, he consistently challenged the front-runners. He earned a season-best third-place finish.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+40000)

After failing to follow up on his Daytona 500 win with a string of strong starts, Stenhouse was able to adapt to the ever-changing dirt track. Needing to show he finishes strong consistently, Stenhouse will be looking to parlay his latest top-five finish with a few more.