We are now well beyond the midway point of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, with 15 races in the books and just 11 more to come before we head into the playoffs. The battle for those coveted 16 places is going to heat up in the coming weeks, and it all starts this Sunday with the Save Mart 350 at the Sonoma Raceway. This is a road race, so while it may seem a little tougher to predict than the traditional oval races, the reality is that there are a handful of drivers who always seem to do well on road tracks. That is reflected in the odds for this weekend, so let’s take a look at a few of the NASCAR Betting favorites for Sunday as we try to figure out who might take the checkered flag.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Preview for Toyota/Save Mart 350 Race
Chase Elliott (+610)
After 15 races of the season, it is Elliott who is sitting at the top of the driver standings, although the lead is about as slender as it gets. That said, Elliott might well be able to open up a lead after this weekend, as he always seems to do really well in road races. He ran 2nd in this race in 2021, but the 2 wins that he had last season both came on road courses. He could use a good performance here, as his last 2 outings have not been very good at all. While Elliott is on top, he is still looking for his first win of the year, but I think there is a chance he could break that goose egg on Sunday.
Kyle Larson (+700)
It was around this time last season that Kyle Larson went on an absolute tear, winning 9 races in the second half of the season. He could use a run like that now, as he has just 1 win on the season and is sitting down in 7th overall in the driver standings. When he went on that tear in 2021, he went on a 3-race win streak, which included a win in this particular race. Larson has always been consistently good on road courses, so it would not be a surprise to see him take the checkered flag this weekend.
Martin Truex Jr. (+870)
Since 2017, which was when Truex Jr, won the Cup Series Championship, he has been one of the most consistent drivers in the sport. He is coming off a 2nd place overall finish last year, his 3rd such finish since winning it all. He is top 5 in the standings heading into this weekend, but he is also still looking for his first win of the 2022 season. He has yet to even have a podium finish this season, but that might change in Sonoma, where he finished 3rd last season.
AJ Allmendinger (+940)
For the last couple of seasons, Allmendinger has abandoned the Cup Series in favor of the Xfinity Series, although he does make the occasional stop into the main NASCAR series. He will be back this weekend, and you have to believe that his decision to race in this one may have been inspired by his win in an Xfinity Series road race last weekend. He is definitely one to keep an eye on when racing on this type of course.
