NASCAR betting odds for Martinsville playoff race, Cup Series title

Lots of furrowed brows about the NASCAR product on short tracks since the 2022 unveiling of the Next Gen race car.

The smaller bullrings, like Bristol, Richmond and now North Wilkesboro since its revival, are supposed to be NASCAR’s bread-n-butter, where the Rubbin is Racin’ crowd cracks its knuckles and gives ’em a little what-for.

Instead, it’s been a lot of single-file Sundays (and a few Saturdays, for that matter) because it’s just too damn hard to pass. They’ll eventually figure out the proper combo of tires, aero and horses to make it better — at which time the racing at intermediate tracks will probably begin to suffer (nature of the beast!).

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Meanwhile, there’s one more chance in 2024 to get it right in cramped quarters: Martinsville, Race 35, and given the circumstances, it’s impossible to imagine we won’t get some theatrics to match the dramatics.

Eight playoff drivers, two with berths clinched for the championship race next week. Six without. One of the six (Christopher Bell) has a decent points cushion, another (William Byron) has a slim one, another (Kyle Larson) is slightly behind his teammate Byron, and three others (Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott) need to win Sunday.

Throw in the teammate calculus and you’ve really got a lot to wrap your minds (and rooting interests) around.

Let’s see what the gamblers are thinking …

NASCAR betting odds for Martinsville

From Hard Rock Bets

+475: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson

+575: Ryan Blaney

+800: Chase Elliott

+900: William Byron

+1200: Christopher Bell

+1500: Joey Logano

+1750: Martin Truex Jr.

+2250: Tyler Reddick

+2500: Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe