Phoenix Raceway will see a bevy of action this championship weekend with three NASCAR Series events. The Cup Series wraps up the action on Sunday after races for the Craftsman Truck Series on Friday and Xfinity Series on Saturday.
The Cup Series playoffs concluded the Round of 8 last week with Ryan Blaney winning in Martinsville to secure his spot in the championship four.
Christopher Bell’s win in Homestead secured his spot in the championship four. Cup Series 2021 champion Kyle Larson secured his spot first with a win in Las Vegas.
William Byron rounds out the championship four thanks to his stage and bonus points as well as top results in the playoffs.
Here’s how the odds look for race winner and championship winner with odds from BetMGM:
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race odds
Kyle Larson (+175)Ryan Blaney (+275)William Byron (+325)Christopher Bell (+450)Kevin Harvick (+1200)Tyler Reddick (+2000)Denny Hamlin (+2000)Joey Logano (+2000)Martin Truex Jr. (+3000)Brad Keselowski (+4000)Chase Briscoe (+4000)Ross Chastain (+4000)Kyle Busch (+5000)Chase Elliott (+5000)Ty Gibbs (+5000)Chris Buescher (+6000)Bubba Wallace (+8000)Aric Almirola (+10000)Alex Bowman (+20000)Daniel Suarez (+20000)Ryan Preece (+25000)Erik Jones (+25000)Carson Hocevar (+35000)Austin Dillon (+50000)A.J. Allmendinger (+50000)Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+50000)Austin Cindric (+50000)Michael McDowell (+50000)Harrison Burton (+50000)Todd Gilliland (+100000)Justin Haley (+100000)Corey Lajoie (+100000)Ty Dillon (+200000)B.J. McLeod (+200000)Ryan Newman (+200000)J.J. Yeley (+200000)
NASCAR Cup Series odds for champion
Kyle Larson (+175)Ryan Blaney (+225)William Byron (+275)Christopher Bell (+375)
NASCAR Cup Series championship race predictions
Covers: Blaney or Bell over Larson and Byron
Eric Smith writes Phoenix is one of Blaney’s best tracks and Bell’s shown he can turn around an average track record, like he did last week in Homestead. Larson’s track record isn’t much better with one win in 18 career Cup races there. As far as Byron goes, he won the first Cup race there this spring and it’s been a decade since someone swept both Phoenix races in one season.
NBC Sports: Larson wins race, second championship
Nate Ryan says it’s between Larson and Blaney, with the 2021 champion Larson having the edge. ‘There are a lot of elements here that are kind of synthesizing for Kyle Larson to emerge as the champion,’ he says.
Fox Sports: Larson wins second title in the desert
Bob Pockrass writes ‘give the edge to Larson. In seven of the nine playoff races, Larson has finished in at least the top three in 10 of the 18 stages. He is consistently fast. His pit crew is solid. He’s the one to beat.’
Insiders Betting Digest: William Byron wins first title
Staff write ‘Byron has seven top-ten playoff finishes and hasn’t finished lower than 15th since Michigan.’ Even though Larson is the favorite, Byron’s prior win makes him the pick.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.