NASCAR Cup Series 2023 Championship Odds: Top Drivers With Best Shot at Winning Championship

Joey Logano Reigning Champ, Fierce Competition Abounds

The 2023 NASCAR season is less than two weeks away, and bettors are honing in on the most recent NASCAR Cup Series 2023 Championship odds. Once again, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host the opening exhibition round and start up another 10 months of exciting action. Last year’s championship was decided at the final race with Joey Logano taking pole and winning two of the three stages for his second NASCAR Cup Series title.

But that finale in Phoenix Raceway is comfortably in the rearview mirror now. The NASCAR schedule is set as are the odds for the Cup championship winners. Here’s a breakdown of who’s got the best odds to win NASCAR races this season, plus some other candidates worth considering:

Defending Champions Lead the Way

The NASCAR Cup Series 2023 Championship odds look great for Logano to win his second NASCAR Cup Series title in 2022, but he’s not the favorite for the 2023 title.

Those odds are tied between a pair of prior champions: Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, who took the title in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

The two favorites both share odds at +600 and will likely be in the mix for the title well into the playoffs. Elliott’s a solid choice, considering he led the field with five wins ahead of Logano’s four and Larson’s three. In a year where 19 drivers won a race (tied for the most in the modern era), Elliott stuck out. Larson led the way with five pole positions but faltered in the Round of 12 in the playoffs.

Behind Elliott and Larson, Denny Hamlin sits third at +800. He’s as reliable as it gets; he’s made the playoffs in every season he’s participated in full-time (15). He’s been close before but couldn’t make the final four last year after an inconsistent season.

In contrast, Ryan Blaney (+1000) had a solid regular season but couldn’t continue that into the playoffs.

Defending champion Logano (+1000) won last year’s title despite just four wins. Those were the fewest for a champion since his title in 2018 (three).

There hasn’t been a repeat champion since 2010 when Jimmie Johnson won his fifth NASCAR Cup Series in a row. He’d need another parity-filled season again to likely take the title.

Rising Stars with Good Odds

Tied with Blaney and Logano at +1000 is William Byron. The 25-year-old is one of the youngest drivers on the grid but made the top 15 in all but one playoff race. Only Hamlin matched that pace. If he qualifies for the playoffs, the 2018 NASCAR Rookie of the Year could have a solid shot at the 2023 Cup Series championship.

Ross Chastain, a fan favorite after his wall-riding antics in Martinsville qualified him for the Championship 4 – is one of three drivers at +1200 odds for the championship.

Besides that viral moment, Chastain had 10 top-five finishes in the regular season, tied with Larson for the most. He’ll likely make the playoffs again and be in a good position for the 2023 NASCAR races championship, wall-riding or not.

The 2017 champion Martin Truex, Jr. sits at +1200 as well. Winless in 2022 and out of the playoffs, he’ll need to improve a lot to have a shot.

Christopher Bell, the third driver at +1200 odds to win the NASCAR title, got off to a rough start in 2022 before turning it around and making the top four. Two retirements in the playoffs ruined his odds, but he was the only driver with two playoff wins besides Logano.

Prior Champions and Long Shots

Who finds favor this season with the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 Championship odds? Two-time champion Kyle Busch had a horrible run in the Round of 16 in the 2022 playoffs and sits at +1400. His second title in 2019 came four years after his first in 2015. If we continue that pace, Busch could put it together once again.

Kevin Harvick’s next-best at +1600. The 2014 Cup Series champion struggled in 2022 before winning two of the final four rounds of the regular season NASCAR schedule. He was runner-up in 2021, though, and may make a push after his worst result in nearly a decade.

Chase Briscoe was in just his second NASCAR Cup Series season in 2022. He finished 24th as a rookie in 2021 but managed to make the top eight in the playoffs last year. One win (his first in NASCAR), two poles, and a strong playoff performance (save for retirement in Homestead) set him up well for another jump in the Nascar standings. At +3300, he could be a strong contender this year.

NASCAR Rookie of the Year Austin Cindric burst on the scene by winning the 2022 Daytona 500. Though that proved to be the only win of the season, he made the Round of 12. A handful of Rookie of the Year winners have taken the title in the past two decades but they’ve usually taken a couple more years to put it together. Cindric’s +5000 odds reflect that but he’s already solidified himself in the top half of the grid.

Best Bets to Win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship

Of the top three, Elliott is our favorite. He won the regular season and had terrible luck in the playoffs with multiple retirements and spinning out of the lead in the Bank of America Roval 400.

He’s consistent, fast, and has the championship pedigree. We think a little more luck comes his way and the 2023 title is his for the taking.

If it weren’t for the worst Round of 16 results than anyone else in the top half of the field, Busch would have been in play for a better finish than 13th last year. In 2015, he followed a 10th-place finish in the championship with his first NASCAR Cup Series title. We look for him to be up there with a chance for a repeat.

Briscoe’s got long odds but it could end up as a great payoff. He’s already shown playoff prowess and solid consistency in a young career. He’s worth a bet as well.

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