2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Odds: Hamlin Pulling Away as Favorite Over Byron, Larson
Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Kyle Larson are the favorites by the NASCAR Cup Series championship odds through the first 11 races of the 2024 season.
Denny Hamlin has now won three of the first 11 races of the 2024 NASCAR season, including the April 28 race at Dover Motor Speedway. And he's starting to pull away across our best sports betting sites as the favorite to win his first-ever Cup Series title.
Two of our five best sportsbooks are featuring Hamlin in sole possession of first place after he took his third checkered flag in seven weeks. The other three have him deadlocked with William Byron and Kyle Larson, who entered the year as co-favorites after making the Championship 4 in 2023.
While Byron and Hamlin are tied for the most wins in 2024, Larson enters this weekend as the betting favorite to take the 2024 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin won that race last year despite Byron taking the pole and Larson leading the most laps.
Here is our updated look at the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship odds (via the best sports betting apps) and our top picks among the field.
For more on Sunday's race, check out our 2024 AdventHealth 400 preview and picks.
NASCAR Cup Series championship odds 2024
(Odds updated May 2)
| Driver | DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | +500 | +500 | +450 | +400 ❄️ | +500 |
| William Byron | +500 | +500 | +500 | +450 ❄️ | +500 |
| Kyle Larson | +500 | +500 | +500 | +450 ❄️ | +500 |
| Christopher Bell | +650 | +650 | +700 | +850 🔥 | +700 |
| Chase Elliott | +900 | +900 | +850 | +750 ❄️ | +900 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +900 | +900 | +1000 | +1000 | +900 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 | +1100 ❄️ | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +1200 | +1200 | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 | +1100 ❄️ | +1200 |
| Joey Logano | +1600 | +1600 | +1400 ❄️ | +2000 🔥 | +1600 |
| Ty Gibbs | +1600 | +1600 | +1800 | +1800 | +1600 |
Favorites to win NASCAR Cup Series Championship
Denny Hamlin (+500 via bet365)
Hamlin is clearly a threat to win every week, as evidenced by his three victories in the last seven weeks. And that early success has emboldened him to take more chances on the concrete.
We saw that last week, when a risky push on pit road and quick move off the restart helped him secure a late lead that he never relinquished. A DNF doesn't hurt Hamlin nearly as much as a win helps him at this stage of the season, and that allows the No. 11 to be ultra-aggressive to build on what's already a spectacular start.
Hamlin also enjoys one of the best cars and pit crews in the field to complement his stellar work behind the wheel. His 54 career wins are the most from any driver without a Cup Series championship, and it feels like he could shed that label in 2024.
William Byron (+500 via BetMGM)
Byron is no longer the only driver with three wins after Hamlin's showing at Dover last week. He still might be the most impressive driver in the field through the first 11 weeks of the season.
The 26-year-old phenom is a threat to win on short tracks, superspeedways, and even road courses, as he's picked up one win apiece on each of those types of tracks. He's already established himself as a premier talent and is racing even better than when Byron made the Championship 4 in 2023.
We said before his win at Martinsville that Byron's +575 odds might be the best we see all season. His price is even shorter now, and I don't expect that to reverse course before the NASCAR playoffs.
Kyle Larson (+500 via Caesars)
Larson made the news this week with his frustrations about a second-place finish at Dover. That speaks to the standard of excellence for the No. 5, as Larson leads all drivers in laps led (570) and holds the top spot in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He's also the favorite to win this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
The 2021 champion has already recorded one dominant win at Las Vegas, and he's registered more top-five finishes (five) than any driver in the field. That comes after he led the pack in laps led (1,127) en route to a runner-up finish in 2023.
Larson has been the fastest driver in the field since breaking onto the scene with 10 wins and his first Cup Series title in 2021. Anything can happen in the playoff era, but you can expect Larson to be among the final drivers.
Ty Gibbs (+1800 via BetMGM)
We've been banging the drum on Gibbs' long-shot odds all season long, including when he was dealing at 28/1 way back in February. His price has been slashed since then, but these odds at BetMGM are still a relative bargain for arguably the most talented youngster in the Cup Series.
Gibbs has proven to be one of the circuit's best after only two seasons in the Cup series, with three top-five finishes and six top-10 results through the first 11 races of the campaign - both of which rank in the top 10. He's also led the fourth-most laps (201) and has finished in the top 20 in every race except for Talladega (22nd).
It's rather silly to see last year's Rookie of the Year dealing outside the top 10, and it feels inevitable that Gibbs - the grandson of Joe Gibbs - will win a Cup Series trophy at some point in his career. With the way he's racing thus far, I wouldn't be shocked if that comes ahead of schedule.
2024 NASCAR schedule and winners
| Date | Race | Location | Winner (open) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Feb. 3 | Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Denny Hamlin (+1100) |
| Monday, Feb. 19 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | William Byron (+1400) |
| Sunday, Feb. 25 | Ambetter Health 400 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Daniel Suarez (+3000) |
| Sunday, March 3 | Pennzoil 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Kyle Larson (+400) |
| Sunday, March 10 | Shriners Children's 500 | Phoenix Raceway | Christopher Bell (+1000) |
| Sunday, March 17 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin (+500) |
| Sunday, March 24 | EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix | Circuit of the Americas | William Byron (+1000) |
| Sunday, March 31 | Toyota Owners 400 | Richmond Raceway | Denny Hamlin (+425) |
| Sunday, April 7 | Cook Out 400 | Martinsville Speedway | William Byron (+1200) |
| Sunday, April 14 | AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 | Texas Motor Speedway | Chase Elliott (+1400) |
| Sunday, April 21 | GEICO 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | Tyler Reddick (+2200) |
| Sunday, April 28 | Würth 400 | Dover Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin (+750) |
| Sunday, May 5 | AdventHealth 400 | Kansas Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, May 12 | Goodyear 400 | Darlington Raceway | TBD |
| Sunday, May 19 | NASCAR All-Star Race | North Wilkesboro Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, May 26 | Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, June 2 | Enjoy Illinois 300 | World Wide Technology Raceway | TBD |
| Sunday, June 9 | Toyota / Save Mart 350 | Sonoma Raceway | TBD |
| Sunday, June 16 | Iowa Corn 350 | Iowa Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, June 23 | NASCAR Cup Series Race at New Hampshire | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, June 30 | Ally 400 | Nashville Superspeedway | TBD |
| Sunday, July 7 | Grant Park 165 | Chicago Street Course | TBD |
| Sunday, July 14 | NASCAR CUP Series Race at Pocono | Pocono Raceway | TBD |
| Sunday, July 21 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Aug. 11 | Cook Out 400 | Richmond Raceway | TBD |
| Sunday, Aug. 18 | FireKeepers Casino 400 | Michigan International Speedway | TBD |
| Saturday, Aug. 24 | Coke Zero Sugar 400 | Daytona International Spedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Sept. 1 | Cook Out Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | TBD |
| Sunday, Sept. 8 | Quaker State 400* | Atlanta Motor Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Sept. 15 | Go Bowling at The Glen* | Watkins Glen International | TBD |
| Saturday, Sept. 21 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race* | Bristol Motor Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Sept. 29 | Hollywood Casino 400* | Kansas Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Oct. 6 | YellaWood 500* | Talladega Superspeedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Oct. 13 | Bank of America ROVAL 400* | Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course | TBD |
| Sunday, Oct. 20 | South Point 400* | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Oct. 27 | NASCAR Cup Series Race at Homestead-Miami* | Homestead-Miami Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Nov. 3 | XFINITY 500* | Martinsville Speedway | TBD |
| Sunday, Nov. 10 | NASCAR Cup Series Championship* | Phoenix Raceway | TBD |
* NASCAR Cup Series Championship playoff race
NASCAR Cup Series Championship odds over time
May 2: At this point in the season, we don't see much movement (if any) across our best live betting sites unless a driver just won a race. That was the case for Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick, who each experienced notable bumps after winning at Texas and Talladega, respectively.
Hamlin didn't enjoy the same treatment, as his odds remained stagnant at three of our five books that offer the best sportsbook promos, with cursory movement at the other two. Still, he's clearly earned his spot as the outright favorite or co-favorite across the market after winning more than a quarter of the races thus far.
Martin Truex Jr. still owns the shortest odds of any driver without a win. He's slotted just ahead of 2023 champion Ryan Blaney, who's still seeking his first checkered flag of 2024 amid a tough campaign overall for Ford drivers.
NASCAR Cup Series Championship opening odds
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +550 |
| William Byron | +550 |
| Ryan Blaney | +750 |
| Denny Hamlin | +800 |
| Chase Elliott | +850 |
| Christopher Bell | +900 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1000 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Kyle Busch | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +1400 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1400 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1800 |
| Chris Buescher | +2000 |
| Ty Gibbs | +2800 |
| Bubba Wallace | +3000 |
| Alex Bowman | +3500 |
| Josh Berry | +6000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +7000 |
| Chase Briscoe | +7000 |
Recent NASCAR Cup Series Championship winners
| Year | Driver | Preseason odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ryan Blaney | +1000 |
| 2022 | Joey Logano | +1400 |
| 2021 | Kyle Larson | +1100 |
| 2020 | Chase Elliott | +1200 |
| 2019 | Kyle Busch | +600 |
| 2018 | Joey Logano | +800 |
| 2017 | Martin Truex Jr. | +800 |
| 2016 | Jimmie Johnson | +700 |
| 2015 | Kyle Busch | +1000 |
| 2014 | Kevin Harvick | +2000 |
| 2013 | Jimmie Johnson | +350 |
How to bet on the NASCAR Cup Series Championship
While there is no dominant driver in the NASCAR field as there once was, preseason favorites Kyle Larson and William Byron are maintaining their spot near the top and are among the favorites in just about every race. So is Hamlin, who has logged three wins already and is the outright title favorite at two sportsbooks.
Betting on any of those drivers isn't a bad way to invest in the season, with all three looking likely to be among the final cars in the playoff field. If you're looking for a way to fade those leaders, you might find better value on a race-to-race basis - like when Daniel Suarez won in Atlanta with odds as high as 45/1.
That said, NASCAR's playoff format adds volatility to the overall field, so we recommend picking off relative values like Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Ty Gibbs, who all have the makeup and team to compete, and they offer a larger payoff than the top three.
NASCAR Cup Series Championship FAQs
Who is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship favorite?
Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Kyle Larson are all dealing as co-favorites to win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship with odds as high as +500, which comes with an implied probability of 16.67% that any of those three will win the championship.
Who won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship?
Ryan Blaney won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, outlasting Kyle Larson and William Byron in the final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway.
When will the NASCAR Cup Series Championship be decided?
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship will be decided on Nov. 10, when the final four drivers compete at Phoenix Raceway.
Where will the NASCAR Cup Series Championship take place?
For the fifth straight year, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship will take place at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, as the conclusion of the 16-driver playoff.
When is the next NASCAR race?
The next race in the NASCAR Cup Series is the AdventHealth 400, which is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (FS1) at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
Motorsports betting odds pages
| NASCAR Cup Series Odds | Indy 500 Odds |
| F1 Driver/Constructor Series Championship Odds | Monaco Grand Prix Odds |
Here are our best sports betting apps:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUS1000 | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
Related Articles
