by Dan Beaver
Updated On: July 6, 2021, 8:32 pm ET
A lot has changed since NASCAR first visited Atlanta this spring. At the time, oddsmakers were still confident that the lack of productivity from the two drivers who dominated last year’s regular season was a fluke. Kevin Harvick was the favorite at +560 to open and +580 immediately ahead of the race.
Hamlin opened at +725 and enough money apparently exchanged hands at those odds that he closed at +675 before the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
With a fourth-place finish on the 1.5-mile track of Homestead-Miami Speedway and a win at the similarly-configured Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson was only beginning to get the respect he deserved and was listed as the second favorite at +625.