The NASCAR Cup Series returns from its final off weekend of the regular season with Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, and oddsmakers believe Denny Hamlin is the driver to beat.
Hamlin enters the weekend as the betting favorite after another strong season that has kept him near the top of the Cup Series standings. But history suggests Sunday’s race may be anything but predictable.
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The 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway has produced two different Cup Series winners in its first two events, and several of this weekend’s favorites are still searching for their first victory at the short track.
Iowa Corn 350 betting favorites
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Hamlin opens at +400.
Christopher Bell and defending Iowa winner Ryan Blaney sit just behind him at +500, while Kyle Larson is listed at +750.
The remainder of the top betting favorites includes:
Driver Odds
Several sleepers could surprise
Outside the favorites, oddsmakers see plenty of value deeper in the field.
Bubba Wallace opens at +1800, followed by Brad Keselowski at +2000 and Carson Hocevar at +2500.
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Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher are both listed at +4000, while Ross Chastain follows at +5000.
Ryan Preece, who has shown speed on shorter tracks this season, enters the weekend at +7000.
Iowa has already produced surprises
While Hamlin enters Sunday’s race as the favorite, Iowa’s brief Cup Series history suggests betting favorites aren’t guaranteed success.
Ryan Blaney won the inaugural Cup race at Iowa Speedway in 2024 and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron secured the first-place position last year.
Hamlin, meanwhile, remains one of NASCAR’s most accomplished short-track drivers, but he is still seeking his first Cup Series victory at Iowa despite entering the weekend as the favorite.
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With just four races remaining before the Chase begins, Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 could prove pivotal for both the championship battle and the playoff picture, making it one of the most anticipated short-track races of the season.
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