As the NASCAR playoffs prepare to get underway, oddsmakers can’t bring themselves to settle on one driver as the one to beat for the NASCAR Cup Series title. They’re going with two.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are set as the +400 co-favorites in the opening betting line for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Tyler Reddick, who edged Larson for the NASCAR regular-season title, is being listed as the +600 co-fourth betting choice alongside William Byron. Ryan Blaney, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, is set fifth in the betting line at odds of +700.
| NASCAR Cp Series Winner Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +400 | +400 | +350 |
| Christopher Bell | +400 | +400 | +420 |
| Denny Hamlin | +400 | +450 | +410 |
| Tyler Reddick | +650 | +600 | +540 |
| William Byron | +700 | +600 | +660 |
| Ryan Blaney | +700 | +700 | +750 |
| Chase Elliott | +1200 | +1200 | +1125 |
| Joey Logano | +1600 | +1600 | +1575 |
| Brad Keselowski | +2200 | +1800 | +2000 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1800 | +1800 | +1700 |
| Ty Gibbs | +3300 | +3300 | +3200 |
| Alex Bowman | +3300 | +3300 | +3700 |
| Daniel Suarez | +12500 | +10000 | +15000 |
| Chase Briscoe | +10000 | +10000 | +9500 |
| Austin Cindric | +10000 | +10000 | +13000 |
| Harrison Burton | +30000 | +10000 | +20000 |
There are nine drivers in the 16-driver playoff field who were also part of the NASCAR postseason competition in 2023. That includes all four of the final four – Blaney, Larson, Byron and Bell. There are five fomer champions still in the hunt for this year’s title. They include Blaney (2023), Joey Logano (2022, 2018), Larson (2021), Chase Elliott (2020), Martin Truex Jr. (2017) and Brad Keselowski (2012).
The NASCAR Cup playoff series begins Saturday, September 8 with the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After three rounds, they will be cutting the field from 16 to 12 drivers. Three races later, the elimination of another four drivers from the playoff chase is taking place.
Entering the final race of the season, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix International Speedway on November 10, only the top four drivers in the standings will remain eligible to win the NASCAR Cup.
Larson is coming into the postseason with a series-best 40-point carryover, thanks to his wins this season at Las Vegas, Kansas, Sonoma, and Indianapolis. He’s arguably the best driver in the series in terms of talent, with backing of the best overall team.
In fact, there’s really only one person who can prevent a repeat of Larson’s 2021 title run and that’s the fellow in the driver’s seat of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Larson is still too often his own worst enemy, crashing out of races thanks to his own unforced errors. Two or three of those in the 10-race playoffs will prove to be fatal to his title hopes.
Is this the year that Bell finally rings in a NASCAR Cup title? He’s been in the final four two years in a row, only to suffer hard luck in the final race of the season. Last year, a brake rotor gave out on his car. In 2022, one of his crew got a finger stuck in a wheel during a pit stop.
Bell, though, is the most consistent driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’s especially sharp on shorter, flatter tracks, which make up the majority of the stops during the 10 playoff races. And he won the spring race at Phoenix this year.
Erratic performances were Reddick’s downfall in past seasons. This year, he’s proven capable of avoiding the major gaffes that were keeping him from running for a NASCAR Cup title.
Over the past 12 races, Reddick has recorded a win, two seconds, two thirds and two fourths along with three other top-10 performances. He’s only been able to manage two wins all season, though.
While Bell and Reddick are both consistently running up front this season, no driver finishes races out front more frequently than Larson. In the sport of auto racing, winning is still what matters. Drivers with the gusto to get that done are the ones that get to win championships.
Even though it’s the playoffs, all of the drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are still eligible to enter each race. Those outside the top 16 can still win any race. They simply aren’t in contention for the overall series championship.
Howewver, being free and clear of that pressure can sometimes make these outsiders intriguing plays to win races. They can take more chances than the playoff drivers, who can’t afford to wreck and perhaps crash themselves out of title contention.
The standard NASCAR props are also still available each race. You can bet on drivers to finish in the top three, top five, or top 10. You can put down wagers on which manufacturer will win the race. And you can bet on which driver will win each segment of every race.
Once you are done settling on all of your bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Playoffs, you’d also be wise to be taking a look through the massive array of sensational information SBS is providing to you. If you want even more in-depth NASCAR information, make sure to check into our NASCAR betting sites rundown, which analyzes the latest gaming markets on the sport.
If you’re someone who’s always on the go, a must-read page to keep tabs on is the best betting apps breakdown, which analyzes the best mobile betting sites that will aid you in staying right on top of the action. Finally, for those interested in some different banking options, look no further than the payment methods guide, which will provide you with some excellent options. Featured here are everything from cryptocurrencies to more traditional banking routes.
About the Author
Theo is our NFL guy. He is the go-to man for all things football and has proven himself to be one of the most expansive writers here, with a broad knowledge of North American sports. He's a veteran journalist based in Ontario, and has covered the gambling and sports betting industry since 2016. He has written more than two dozen books and covered the NFL since the early 1990s.
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