If you look at the current Cup Series driver standings, the one thing that would probably jump out is that we have had 7 different winners already this season. As we head into Race 8 of the 2022 NASCAR season, we are still waiting for a driver to win his second race of the year. Will that be something we see at Martinsville in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 or are we going to need to wait a little longer to see our first multi-race winner of the year? There are a few drivers who are lower down the standings than we expected, but with plenty of racing still to come, there is a lot of time for those guys to start making an upwards move. Let’s take a look at the current favorites for the Martinsville race so you can get ready to bet against their NASCAR Odds.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Preview for Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 Race
Martin Truex Jr. (+510)
While certainly not old in the grand scheme of things, at 41 years of age, you have to think that Truex Jr. is in the latter stages of his NASCAR career. You could certainly argue that there is a lot of gas still in the tanks, though, as since winning the title in 2017, he has finished 2nd overall in 3 of the following 4 seasons. He is already showing that he is a title contender again this season, sitting at the top of the driver standings after the first 7 races of the year. He is still looking for his first win of the season, but a win at Martinsville in the first of the 2 races on that track last season suggests he might be in with a very decent shot.
Chase Elliott (+710)
In his championship winning season, Elliott managed 4 wins, but he was able to continue to make it through the playoffs by staying ridiculously consistent. He came close to a repeat last season, making it to the final four on the heels of just 2 wins. He is still looking for his first victory of the 2022 season, yet there he is sitting in the #2 spot in the driver standings. Elliott’s ability to consistently pick up points is amazing, and with a 2nd place finish at Martinsville last season, he might well be ready to take his first checkered flag of the year on the same track.
Ryan Blaney (+780)
For the past 3 seasons, Blaney has put together respectable seasons without ever really seriously challenging for a Cup Series title. He has failed to make the final four in each of those past three years, but might this be the season where he has a breakthrough? As it stands right now, he is atop the driver standings, but it is so tight at the top, a drop could be coming soon. While he was 11th in both Martinsville races last season, his overall record there is much better.
Denny Hamlin (+830)
Hamlin has made it to the final four in each of the past 3 seasons, coming up just short of a championship each time. We all expected that he would be in the running again this season, but he got off to a pretty horrid start through the first 6 races. A win in Richmond last weekend, though, might just be the signal to the rest of the pack that he is ready to turn up the heat. He finished 3rd in this race in 2021.
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