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Jim Tomlin has nearly 30 years of experience in journalism, having worked at such publications as the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturdays Down South and Saturday Tradition. He is a contributing writer and editor for BetVirginia.com.
NASCAR Richmond Odds 2025: Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway
The Cup Series returns to Richmond Raceway for its only visit this season (more on that later) with the urgency cranked up. For NASCAR betting in Virginia, and for teams and drivers, this is a major event as the playoffs draw near.
Saturday’s Cook Out 400 (7:30 p.m. Eastern, USA Network) on the 0.75-mile oval is the second-to-last race of the regular season, with several big-name drivers still seeking a victory that would clinch a spot in the 10-race postseason. Here are odds for the Richmond race:
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NASCAR Richmond Odds 2025: Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway
Driver | Odds | Best Richmond Finish |
Denny Hamlin | +400 | Winner (5 times) |
Christopher Bell | +450 | Second (fall 2022) |
Kyle Larson | +750 | Winner (twice) |
William Byron | +850 | Third (spring 2022) |
Joey Logano | +900 | Winner (twice) |
Ryan Blaney | +1100 | Seventh (spring 2022) |
Chase Briscoe | +1600 | 11th (twice) |
Chase Elliott | +1800 | Second (spring 2018) |
Chris Buescher | +2000 | Winner (fall 2023) |
Ross Chastain | +2200 | Third (spring 2023) |
Tyler Reddick | +2500 | Third (fall 2024) |
Brad Keselowski | +2500 | Winner (twice) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook VA as of Aug. 12 and subject to change.
Two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are at the top of the odds board at DraftKings to win the Cook Out 400 at Richmond: Denny Hamlin with +400 odds and Christopher Bell at +450 with the operator.
Hamlin is second among active drivers with five victories at Richmond; only Kyle Busch (six) had more among Saturday’s projected starters. But Busch hasn’t won a race since June 2023, whereas Hamlin is a Virginia sports betting favorite based on his current form. The longtime Virginia resident has four victories in 2025, tied for the series lead, and is third in points with 731.
Right behind him in points is Bell, who won three races in a row early in the season but has not seen Victory Lane since March 9 in Phoenix. Bell leads active drivers for best career average finish at Richmond (7.3) but still seeks his first win there.
There are also head-to-head props and wagers on top-3, top-5 and top-10 finishes for individual drivers in Saturday’s Cup race. For instance, BetMGM Virginia Sportsbook offers +120 odds on Hamlin for a top-3 run and the same odds on Bell. If you’re really a big believer in JGR, perhaps a +1000 flyer on Ty Gibbs for a top-3 finish might be tempting. Gibbs seeks a victory to clinch a berth in the 16-car playoffs, which begin Aug. 31 with the Southern 500 at Darlington.
NASCAR Results At Richmond: Top Drivers Since 2020
Driver, Starts | Avg. Finish | Wins |
Denny Hamlin (9) | 5.1 | 2 |
Christopher Bell (9) | 7.3 | 0 |
Joey Logano (9) | 7.3 | 0 |
Chase Elliott (8) | 8.4 | 0 |
Kyle Larson (8) | 9.1 | 1 |
Kyle Busch (9) | 10.0 | 0 |
Brad Keselowski (9) | 10.7 | 1 |
Austin Dillon (9) | 12.2 | 1 |
Ross Chastain (8) | 13.3 | 0 |
Alex Bowman (9) | 13.4 | 1 |
Statistics are courtesy of Racing-Reference.info for past nine Richmond Cup races (since 2020), sorted by best average finish. Minimum of eight races since 2020, among active drivers only.
This analysis comes from BetVirginia.com, where the best Virginia sportsbook promos are available.
Busch not only has six victories at Richmond, but he leads all active drivers with 63 career Cup series wins. However, his drought of two-plus years and his current form make him an iffy bet for this weekend, even at +2800 odds.
With the 26-race regular season so close to ending, he is one of several big-name drivers seeking a playoff path. Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski are also winless in 2025. With only Richmond and the Aug. 23 Daytona race remaining before the playoff field is set, the urgency is picking up for the drivers who are nervous about making the playoffs on points.
Caesars Virginia Sportsbook lists Kyle Larson as the favorite to win the series title at +350 odds, followed by Hamlin (+450), who seeks to end his distinction as the best active NASCAR driver never to win a Cup championship.
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NASCAR TV Schedule For Richmond Weekend
Time, Date | Series, Session | Network |
2:05 p.m. ET Friday (Aug. 15) | Truck Series practice | FS2 |
3:10 p.m. ET Friday (Aug. 15) | Truck Series qualifying | FS2 |
4:30 p.m. ET Friday (Aug. 15) | Cup Series practice | truTV |
5:40 p.m. ET Friday (Aug. 15) | Cup Series qualifying | truTV |
7:30 p.m. ET Friday (Aug. 15) | Truck Series race, eero 250 | FS1 |
7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (Aug. 16) | Cup Series race, Cook Out 400 | USA, HBO Max |
Virginia sports betting apps will have more lines and prop bets available as the race gets closer.
Except for 2020, when restrictions related to COVID-19 scrambled the NASCAR schedule, this is the first time since 1958 that NASCAR’s top series is only visiting Richmond once. The track held two races per year for many decades, but the spring date in Virginia’s capital city was moved off of the 2025 calendar, reportedly in favor of the new street course race in Mexico City.
USA Today photo by Amber Searls
NASCAR Richmond 2025 Q&As
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Richmond, Virginia, for the Cook Out 400 on Aug. 16, 2025. This is the only series race this season at the 0.75-mile oval, which hosted the top stock car series twice annually since 1959, except for 2020.
The Cook Out 400 is at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. USA Network will televise the race live.
In 2024, Denny Hamlin won the spring race and Austin Dillon captured the fall event at Richmond Raceway. Saturday’s race is the only Cup Series event at the track this year.
The Cook Out 400 is scheduled for 400 laps around the 0.75-mile oval, or 300 miles. However, the past two Cup races at Richmond have gone overtime.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
