🏁 Cook Out 400 Predictions & Odds 2026: NASCAR Picks, Props, Best Bets at Martinsville Today

Tyler Reddick has won four of the first six NASCAR races entering today's Cook Out 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1), but the 23XI Racing star faces one of his most challenging tracks this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Ryan Blaney is among the betting favorites to win the Cook Out 400, and he sits atop my Cook Out 400 predictions, along with a Team Penske teammate and two Hendrick Motorsports stars among my NASCAR picks and best prop bets at Martinsville.

Denny Hamlin sits on the pole, with William Byron beside him on the front row.

💰 Cook Out 400 picks at Martinsville

Here's a look at the actual bets I'm placing for the Cook Out 400 with the best odds from all of our best sports betting apps. All picks were made based on odds before qualifying.

Total wagered: 5.5 units | Max profit: 11.76 units

💡 How I'm betting the Cook Out 400

The Cup Series heads to the shortest track on the schedule for the first time this season, and the half-mile paperclip demands a different skill set than the tracks we've seen so far this year. Winning at Martinsville is about braking, restarts, and embracing contact as the field compresses around the 0.526-mile long "paperclip" track - a different proposition than outlasting the field for 400 miles on long-run speed and tire wear like the last two weeks.

Since the Next Gen era began in 2022, this track has been dominated by Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske, which have combined for six of eight wins at Martinsville with their best drivers dominating the advanced stats at this track, too. That's where I'm investing my money this week with a sprinkle on another weekly feature whose profile is too good to ignore at this short track.

🏆 Best bet to win Cook Out 400

Ryan Blaney to win Cook Out 400 (+500, 1u)

Three weeks ago, we backed Blaney as the outright favorite at a track he had dominated in Phoenix. It was well worth the short price as he battled through multiple issues on pit road to lead 28 laps and win the race as the fastest car in the field.

It’s hard for me to ignore all of the data pointing to a similar result this week at Martinsville. Blaney has the highest average finish (4.25) with two wins in eight races here in the Next Gen era (since 2022), and he’s one of five drivers to finish above his expected position in all eight races according to Lap Raptor. He’s gaining nearly 14 positions above expectation on average at the paperclip while picking up track position at a better rate than any driver in the field.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s tied for the lead in top-threes (4) and top-fives (6) at Martinsville, and he’s been the clear leader in average finish over his last five and 10 races at short tracks. Sometimes you plug your nose and pay the price for the best car on the track to find its way to the front across 400 laps - this is one of those weeks to do it.

🏁 More NASCAR picks for Cook Out 400 at Martinsville

Joey Logano to win Cook Out 400 (+1500, 0.5u)

When one Team Penske car has a strong history at a certain track, usually another is close behind. Logano won at Martinsville in 2018 and is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all eight races here in the Next Gen era. His average finish in those races (5.88) ranks third in the field, and he’s one of five drivers to finish above his expected position in every Next Gen race.

So why is he dealing as a distant afterthought behind the top six drivers in the field? The No. 22 hasn’t been the fastest car at this track over the last few years, but he’s among the best at slicing through the field after restarts and in the final few laps. That’s worth paying for at a pretty generous price entering qualifying.

William Byron to win Cook Out 400 (+625, 0.5u)

Byron has three wins at Martinsville in the Next Gen era - the most of any driver in the field - and he’s led over 650 laps here, including 304 laps in his win at the paperclip last fall. When the No. 24 is dialed in at this track, he’s tough to beat. The floor is pretty low with multiple finishes outside the top 20, but the outright market only pays if you reach Victory Lane, and nobody does that better than Byron. With three wins in eight tries, I like the math at these odds.

Ross Chastain to win Cook Out 400 (+5000, 0.2u)

It’s hard for me to ever keep Chastain off the bet slip when he’s such a strong closer, and that’s especially true at Martinsville. The No. 1 car is among the five with that 100% success rate over expectation over eight starts - joining Blaney, Logano, Chase Elliott, and Bubba Wallace - and he ranks fifth in average finish (8.5) with three top-fives in that stretch. At 50/1, he’s well worth a wager and a sprinkle in the props market, too. (More on that below.)

🔥 Best NASCAR prop bets for Cook Out 400 at Martinsville

This track has been dominated by Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske in the Next Gen era, so while I usually like to anchor my bet slip with a single manufacturer or racing team, I’m avoiding picking between the two and instead picking my spots with a few drivers who have consistently outpaced their starting position at Martinsville:

Joey Logano top-10 finish (-150, 1.5u)

Logano has finished in the top 10 at Martinsville in 13 consecutive races and 22 of 34 in his career (64.7%), including all eight in the Next Gen era. So why in the world are we catching -150 odds on Logano to record his 14th consecutive top-10 finish, which would imply him cashing 60% of the time? Anything can happen across 400 laps, but I’ll gladly take my chances with my highest stake on any prop bet this week.

Chase Elliott top-5 finish (+120, 0.75u)

As mentioned earlier, Elliott is in the “100% club” at Martinsville, which makes these odds on a top-five finish even more alluring for the driver with the highest speed score in the field. He trails only Blaney in points earned here in the Next Gen era and ranks second behind teammate Kyle Larson in average running position (6.56) - but he’s dealing at a much better price than either of those two drivers.

Ryan Blaney top-3 finish (+160, 0.75u)

It’s usually a wise call to support an outright ticket on a fast car with a top-finish prop bet to account for the inevitable volatility of stock car racing. Blaney has finished in the top three in four of his last seven races here, including his victories in 2023 and 2024, yet we’re still catching plus-money value on a fifth top-three finish in the Next Gen era.

Ross Chastain top-10 finish (+220, 0.3u)

I don’t want to be too over-leveraged on Chastain, who is a hit-or-miss driver at times, but these odds are too juicy to ignore given his track record at Martinsville. He’s finished in the top 10 in three straight races here and five of eight in the Next Gen era, so this is strong value on paper.

💵 My betting record for NASCAR picks

All NASCAR picks have been tracked since the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

📈 Cook Out 400 betting insights: NASCAR at Martinsville

Here are the latest NASCAR betting insights via BetMGM for the Cook Out 400 in the hours before the green flag waves:

🏆 Past NASCAR winners at Martinsville

Here is a list of every NASCAR race winner at Martinsville in the Next Gen era:

📊 Cook Out 400 betting odds: NASCAR at Martinsville

Here’s a look at the latest odds to win Sunday’s race at Martinsville via BetMGM:

🔢 Cook out 400 starting grid

Here's the starting grid for today's race, with Denny Hamlin as the pole-sitter.

📺 How to watch Cook Out 400: NASCAR at Martinsville 2026

• Date: Sunday, March 29
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Martinsville Speedway (Ridgeway, Va.)
• TV: FS1
• Track: 0.526-mile short track (400 laps, 210.4 miles)
• Stages: Stage 1 (80 laps), Stage 2 (100 laps), final stage (220 laps)