2018 First Data 500 Odds & Preview

We’re down to the Round of 8 in the 2018 NASCAR playoffs, and Kyle Busch is clinging to a one-point lead over Kevin Harvick in the standings, with Martin Truex Jr in third, 16 points out of the lead. Chase Elliott is the hottest driver on the circuit right now, who has won two out of the last three races, and he currently sits in fourth place, just three points above elimination. The First Data 500 is the first race in the Round of 8 in the playoffs, and it is the oldest race on the NASCAR circuit, with its debut taking place back in 1949 at Martinsville Speedway. The action is set to start on Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm Eastern, with the broadcast on NBC Sports. We have the odds to win the 2018 First Data 500 below as well as some NASCAR betting suggestions for your wagers.

2018 First Data 500 Odds & Preview

Lookin’ good @FirstData! #FirstData500 pic.twitter.com/ikoE7UVvUc

— Martinsville Speedway (@MartinsvilleSwy) October 25, 2018

Driver Odds to Win the 2018 First Data 500 Preview

• Kyle Busch                                                                                                                5/2
• Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski                                                                              5/1
• Martin Truex Jr                                                                                                          11/2
• Chase Elliott                                                                                                              6/1
• Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick                                                                                   10/1
• Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney                                                                                    20/1
• Kurt Busch                                                                                                                25/1
• Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson                                                                              28/1
• Kyle Larson                                                                                                               33/1
• Erik Jones                                                                                                                  40/1
• Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman, Alex Bowman                                                       50/1
• Austin Dillon                                                                                                             66/1
• Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse, Paul Menard, William Byron                     100/1
• Ty Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Matt Kenseth                                                            250/1
• Bubba Wallace, Regan Smith, Ross Chastain                                                      500/1
• Ross Chastain, JJ Yeley, Matt DiBenedetto, Michael McDowell, David Ragan, Timmy Hill, Cole Whitt, Jeffrey Earnhardt                                     1000/1

Jimmie Johnson, to be honest, has not won in a long, long time. However, he has been sneaking closer and closer to the checkered flag, with three top-10 finishes in his last five starts. He has won this race six times, and the only other drivers with that many first-place trophies here are Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, and Darrell Waltrip. He has 12 top-five finishes in his last 15 starts at this race. Given that moneyline value, it’s hard to argue against him. Martin Truex Jr has three top-five finishes in the six playoff races so far, and he came in fifth a week ago, launching him to third in the playoff standings. Truex has been knocking on the doro for a victory and is definitely due at this point. In 2017, Truex finished second at the First Data 500 and has five top-8 finishes in his last seven races at Martinsville Speedway. He does offer some value with his moneyline, so I’m adding him. Kyle Busch is the clear favorite and doesn’t offer a lot of value, but you do have to consider his history at Martinsville Speedway. In his last six races here, he has come in with the top five each time. It’s been four years since he finished outside the top five here. He won this race back in 2017, so if there’s a time to pick a favorite and accept the lower odds, this is one of those times. Joey Logano has four straight top-10 finishes and, since he’s in the top eight of the playoff standings, he still has a reason to race hard. The Martinsville Speedway has been friendly to him, as he has six top-10 finishes in his last nine races there, and he finished sixth in the Martinsville race earlier in 2018. He hasn’t won in a while, but he has been running consistently. Denny Hamlin has won this race twice and has four wins at Martinsville Speedway overall. He has five top-8 finishes in a row at this event coming in. That moneyline makes him a dark horse, to be sure, but his record at this track makes him worth considering.