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Food City Dirt Race Odds, Predictions, and Picks

Chris Wassel

by Chris Wassel in Racing

Updated Apr 14, 2022 · 5:24 AM PDT

NASCAR Food City Dirt Race odds
Driver Kyle Larson (5), right, talks with Denny Hamlin, center, and Chase Briscoe before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Monday, March 29, 2021, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
  • Bristol takes center stage with the Food City Dirt Race on Sunday, April 17th, 2022
  • Can Ford and particularly Team Penske take advantage of the short race?
  • Below are odds and trends ahead of Sunday night’s race for the Food City Dirt Race.

NASCAR heads over to Bristol, Tennessee, for the ninth race of the 2022 season. The race comes from the Martinsville Speedway. The odds reflect a return to more normal short-track type numbers. Kyle Larson is favored this week with +500 odds in the NASCAR Food City Dirt Race odds. It does seem like Hendrick Motorsports driver should contend here at the 0.533-mile track.

This is one week after the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400, where William Byron and Chase Elliott led 397 laps combined as Byron went on to win his second race of the 2022 season.

Let’s dive into these Food City Dirt Race odds and figure out which drivers are the best bets.

Food City Dirt Race Odds

Driver Odds to Win Odds to Finish Top Three Odds to Finish Top Ten
Kyle Larson +500 +155 -315
Christopher Bell +800 +245 -200
Joey Logano +1000 +300 -162
William Byron +1200 +375 -139
Martin Truex Jr. +1200 +375 -139
Chase Briscoe +1300 +400 -129
Chase Elliott +1300 +400 -129
Ryan Blaney +1400 +425 -122
Kyle Busch +1500 +450 -112
Denny Hamlin +1500 +450 -112
Tyler Reddick +1500 +450 -112
Alex Bowman +1800 +525 -109
Ross Chastain +2200 +600 +105
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +2200 +600 +105
Kevin Harvick +2500 +700 +115
Daniel Suarez +2500 +700 +115
Austin Dillon +4000 +1000 +170
Bubba Wallace +4000 +1200 +170
Kurt Busch +5000 +1200 +205
Brad Keselowski +5000 +1600 +205
Austin Cindric +6600 +1600 +240

Odds as of April 14th at the Barstool Sportsbook App

Tennessee online sports betting markets list Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell as the top two favorites.

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Kyle Larson Favorite On The Bristol Dirt

NASCAR drivers will run on the 0.533-mile Martinsville Speedway when the flag drops for the Sunday night race beginning around 7:00 PM ET. This track banks at a 22-27 degree angle around turns and about 6-10 degrees on straightaways.

There are few drivers like Kyle Larson period. It feels like the No. 5 car can race on anything and anywhere. Arguably, that is not a joke at all. If Larson could do the 24 hours of LeMans for example, he probably would have yesterday.

Currently, Larson stands at +500 odds (+350 at Caesars). Teammate William Byron lists at +1200 (+1000 at Caesars Sportsbook). Some shorter odds exist on Caesars Sportsbook, but there exist some longer shots at +6600 like Austin Cindric.

Now, what will happen at Bristol after the sun sets?

The hope is that Larson and the rest of the drivers will not have to worry about any issues from the windshields. After all, tear-a-ways worked a lot better. Larson drives dirt courses on a weekly basis and knows the dynamics inside out.

Recent Winners

Year Race Winner Pole Position Most Laps Led
2021 Joey Logano — Team Penske Kyle Larson — Hendrick Motorsports Racing Martin Truex Jr. — Joe Gibbs Racing
2020 Brad Keselowski — Team Penske Brad Keselowski — Team Penske Denny Hamlin — Joe Gibbs Racing
2019 Kyle Busch — Joe Gibbs Racing Chase Elliott — Hendrick Motorsports Racing Ryan Blaney — Team Penske
2018 Kyle Busch — Joe Gibbs Racing Kyle Busch — Joe Gibbs Racing Kyle Larson — Chip Ganassi Racing
2017 Jimmie Johnson — Hendrick Motorsports Racing Kyle Larson — Chip Ganassi Racing Kyle Larson — Chip Ganassi Racing

The race was held on asphalt until 2021 when it was shifted to a dirt surface. Race length is now just 250 laps as it was set last year.

Can Christopher Bell Keep It On The Track?

Sports bettors were not hurt as bad last week. The Joe Gibbs Racing drivers were expected to drop off a bit in the NASCAR Cup Series odds, and the race odds as well. Sure enough, the Busch brothers finished sixth and seventh. After that, Toyota missed out on contending.

Then, there is Christopher Bell. He is one of the better dirt-racing drivers out there. Last year, he and Kyle Larson were likely two of the fastest drivers until disaster struck.

This shapes up to be some battle between the two drivers. Can Christopher Bell keep the car on the track? After all, he did spin Larson out last year which knocked both out of contention. That paved the way for Joey Logano and the Ford’s to seize the short race in the final stage.

Food City Dirt Race Predictions & Picks

This is the second race under the lights and also the debut of the heats for 2022. Now, expect a little more chaos this weekend.

That weather certainly has a mind of its own. Sunday night will feature a chance of early showers with steadier rain later in the night.  Naturally, this can change at any time and will make picks more fluid.

The stage format is 100-100-50 for laps.  Watch the changeable track conditions as far as moisture.

Here are our best bets:

  • Top Pick: Kyle Larson to win (+500)
  • Middle Shooters: William Byron (+1200),  Chase Elliott (+1300), Daniel Suarez (+2500)
  • Longshots: Austin Cindric (+6600), Austin Dillon (+4500 – Caesars Sportsbook)
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