Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington in South Carolina kicks off the 2023 NASCAR Playoffs. William Byron leads the field of 16 followed by Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin. Truex Jr is co-chalk along with Kyle Larson to win the Cook Out Southern 500. Byron offers second choice odds and Hamlin is third choice. Which drivers should be on your NASCAR radar?

Check out the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 odds analysis. Be sure to check out for NASCAR odds at our online crypto sportsbook.

2023 Cook Out Southern 500 Race Info

The journey is about to begin. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/XlJMylSKt5

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 31, 2023

• When: Sunday, September 3 at 6:00 pm ET
• Where: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina
• TV: FOX
• Radio: MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Live Stream: NBCSports.com

Odds to Win the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500

• Martin Truex Jr. +500
• Kyle Larson +500
• William Byron +750
• Denny Hamlin +800
• Ross Chastain +1000
• Kyle Busch +1100
• Christopher Bell +1200
• Tyler Reddick +1300
• Brad Keselowski +1600
• Chase Elliott +1600
• Kevin Harvick +1800
• Joey Logano +1800
• Ryan Blaney +2200
• Chris Buescher +2800
• Bubba Wallace +3000
• Ty Gibbs +4500
• Erik Jones +5500
• Daniel Suarez +5500
• Alex Bowman +5500
• Michael McDowell +8000

2022 Cook Out Southern 500 Recap

Joey Logano won the pole and started first, followed by Christopher Bell in second and William Byron in third. Tyler Reddick started fourth.

In the final stage, Erik Jones pulled off the upset and crossed the finish line first. Denny Hamlin finished second, Reddick third, and Logano fourth. Christopher Bell finished fifth. Bubba Wallace, who qualified for this year’s playoff, finished ninth.

Top Choice to Win the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500

Most NASCAR fans agree that Denny Hamlin is the greatest driver to have never won a NASCAR Cup. Hamlin is ultra-focused this season to lift the Cup.

Doing so means Denny must get off to a great start. That means Hamlin pockets the top prize at the first Round of 16 race, the Cook Out Southern 500.

If Hamlin can get the win on Sunday, he might be on his way to a title. Give Denny Hamlin a big chance to score the checkered flag in this year’s first playoff race.

Second Choice to Win the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500

Seeding doesn’t matter in the NASCAR Playoff. But if it did, William Byron would be at the top. There are plenty of reasons to like Byron to get it done on Sunday.

For starters, Byron has won 5 events this season. He finished the regular season with 9 total top 5 finishes and 13 top 10’s. Second, William heads to Darlington, driving great. He won at Watkins Glen and then crossed the line eighth at Daytona last Sunday.

Finally, Byron has become Hendrick Motorsports top driver. Chase Elliott had a tough season, getting injured and then having to sit out a race due to suspension. While Elliott was out, Byron became Hendrick’s best hope for a title. Give Will a big shot.

Third Choice to Win the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500

Busch finished seventh at Daytona last week, which is another sign Kyle made the right choice by signing with Richard Childress after spending all of his career with Joe Gibbs Racing.

In his first season driving under the Childress banner, Busch won 3 races, scored 14 total top 10’s, and finished in the top 5 a total of 8 times. Busch has a legit shot of winning the NASCAR Cup for Childress this season.

We choose him third because Kyle didn’t have luck over this track in 2022. He ended up finishing thirtieth. But if Busch is focused and gets a decent starting spot, who knows? If you believe, go for it because the 11-to-1 odds are fair.

Top Underdog to Win the 2023 Cook Out Southern 500

Wallace proved his detractors wrong by qualifying for the NASCAR Playoff. Bubba can signal he’s a threat to win the title by taking the checkered flag in the first race.

Wallace finished a decent ninth in this last year. For sure, Bubba can step it up enough to finish in the top five. If he’s good enough to land in the top five, there’s no doubt he can win the race.

Also, Wallace is motivated, and we can’t deny the odds make the top underdog pick a slight overlay. Back Bubba if you believe.

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READ MORE: 2023 Cook Out Southern 500 Sleeper Picks