We are down to the final two races of the season, and while the final race is the most important of them all, the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville this weekend cannot be overlooked, as it will decide which 4 drivers go into the final weekend of the season with a shot at winning the championship. With Kyle Busch, who was not in the Round of 8 group, winning last week in Texas, things at the top of the standings essentially remained the same. With just 1 race remaining to crack into the top 4, the 4 drivers sitting below the cut line know exactly what they need to do this weekend. Some big names are going to miss the cut unless they can rise up and get the win. Let’s take a look at some of the favorites for the Xfinity 500, along with their NASCAR odds.

NASCAR Cup Series: PLAYOFFS – Xfinity 500

Martin Truex Jr. (+325)

Sitting below the cut line and in serious need of a win, Truex Jr. heads into Martinsville with a ton of pressure squarely on his shoulders. He finished 2^nd at Texas last weekend, which certainly helped his cause, but the reality is that he needs more than that if he is to make the move into the top 4. You could say that things look rather bleak for him at this point, but it may be that the fates are aligning in his favor. Truex Jr. has been outstanding at Martinsville and has actually won there in back to back seasons. If he can make it 3 in a row on Sunday, he will be racing in the top 4 next weekend on the final day of the season.

Brad Keselowski (+600)

It is a bit of a precarious time for Keselowski at the moment, as he is sitting right on the cut line at #4. He is another one that would love to win to secure his spot, but landing in the top 5 might end up being more than enough, depending on who takes the checkered flag on Sunday. In his last 9 races at Martinsville, Keselowski has landed in the top 10 no less than 8 times, with a pair of wins in among those finishes. It is certainly not outside the realm of possibility that he gets the win and makes his entry into the top 4 automatic.

Denny Hamlin (+600)

Barring some sort of major disaster, Denny Hamlin will be in the top 4 heading into the final race of the season. His bigger goal, though, is to run down Kevin Harvick, who has not been at his best these past few weeks. Since winning at Talladega a few weeks ago, Hamlin has not been great, although he did manage a top 10 finish at Texas last weekend. He had a poor run at Martinsville last time out, but he has been in the top 5 in the 3 races prior to that one.

Joey Logano (+750)

It’s not really possible to relax when you are tearing round a track at a high rate of speed, but Joey Logano is probably going to be the most comfortable driver on the track this Sunday given that his win in the Round of 8 has him automatically in the final 4. He last won at Martinsville in 2018, but he has been in the top 10 in 4 of his last 5 races there. He is definitely worth a look.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?