We’re starting to approach those heady weeks in the NASCAR Cup Series season when the playoffs get underway, winding all the way down to the championship race in early November. Kevin Harvick currently leads in the points standings, with 1,041, having won seven races this year. Right behind him is Denny Hamlin, with 907 points and six victories in this turn-back-the-clock season for him. Rounding out the top five are Brad Keselowski (881), Martin Truex Jr (845) and Joey Logano (836).
We have the NASCAR betting odds for you below, and we also have insights about which drivers could emerge as solid wagering choices.
NASCAR Betting:
NASCAR Cup Series Early Prediction: Favorites, Smart Picks and Sleepers
| Cup Series Championship Odds | |
|---|---|
| Kevin Harvick | + 200 |
| Denny Hamlin | + 300 |
| Martin Truex Jr | + 700 |
| Chase Elliott | + 800 |
| Brad Keselowski | + 900 |
| Kyle Busch | + 1200 |
| Joey Logano | + 1400 |
| Ryan Blaney | + 1600 |
| Aric Almirola | + 2800 |
| Alec Bowman, Kurt Busch | + 3500 |
| Jimmie Johnson | + 4000 |
| Clint Bowyer | + 5000 |
| William Byron | + 6000 |
| Cole Custer, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon | + 6600 |
| Erik Jones | + 8000 |
With his win on Sunday, Kevin Harvick clinched the regular season championship and will be the top seed in the playoffs. He did have some track bar issues in the Saturday race at Dover International Speedway, but he was able to figure things out.
Denny Hamlin won Saturday’s race at Dover — and then settled for 19th place in the second half of the doubleheader. However, he remains right at the top of things near the end of a season that has been one for the ages.
Martin Truex Jr shows more consistency than any driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. He had come in third in five consecutive races coming into the doubleheader at Dover, and then he came in second in both races over the weekend.
Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race and has alternated between feast and famine since then. He came in fifth in the Saturday race at Dover and crashed early on Sunday, ending up in 39th place.
Brad Keselowski came in eighth on Saturday and ninth on Sunday at Dover. He’s a driver who wins in bunches — and then disappears for a while. The top-ten finishes are nice, but they won’t bring him a title. He does tend to show up big for the playoff races.
Joey Logano also cracked the top ten twice this weekend at Dover. However, he isn’t showing that competitive flair that occasionally vaults him to the top since NASCAR resumed after the COVID-19 shutdown. Will he turn things up for the playoffs?
Aric Almirola was terrific once NASCAR resumed, but July and August have not been kind to him. He did win a stage in the play-in race to make it into the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, but since then he hasn’t done anything of note.
Alex Bowman had a dreadful Saturday but then cracked the top five on Sunday at Dover. What can he do in the playoffs, though?
Kyle Busch continues to scuffle a bit, racing nicely on Saturday before getting in a wreck and then struggling on Sunday. It’s hard to see such a dominant racer struggling in this way. Can he get back to the top of the odds list?
