NASCAR: Chase Elliott has surprising odds to win at Martinsville
After missing six races, Chase Elliott is set to return to NASCAR Cup Series action at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday afternoon.
Chase Elliott made his most recent NASCAR Cup Series start at Auto Club Speedway back on Sunday, February 26. The following week, he fractured his left tibia in a Colorado snowboarding accident, sidelining him for six weeks.
Elliott is set to get back behind the wheel of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in this Sunday afternoon’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
The four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Ridgeway, Virginia oval is one of the most brake-heavy tracks on the schedule, and drivers use “left foot braking”. Given the injury to his left leg, Elliott has admitted that making his return at “The Paperclip” will be tough.
FanDuel Sportsbook, however, doesn’t think it will make much of a difference.
Chase Elliott’s odds to win Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race are +700 (bet $100 to win $700), making him one of the top five favorites.
Here are the top five.
- William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports: +600
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing: +650
- Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports: +650
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing: +700
- Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports: +700
Access full odds for the race and bet now at FanDuel Sportsbook! Odds and availability are subject to change.
The fact that Elliott is expected to be a contender for the win in his first race back may surprise some. But he has indicated that he made sure he was up for returning this week after spending several hours testing in the Chevrolet simulator earlier this week.
Elliott has had success at Martinsville Speedway in the past, most notably winning the November 2020 race at the track to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, which he ultimately won to seal the title.
He has scored stage points in 12 straight stages at the track, and he has finished 10 straight stages in the top four. He has led laps in eight of the last 12 races at the venue, including at least 123 on four occasions and at least 236 twice. But he hasn’t finished higher than 10th place in any of his last three starts there.
Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, April 16 for the live broadcast of the 400-lap race from Martinsville Speedway. Start a free trial of FuboTV today!
