NASCAR Playoff Odds: Kyle Larson Favorite, Chase Elliott Maybe, Martin Truex No

Once the NASCAR Playoff Field was set on Sunday evening in DarlingtonThe bookmakers have set to work building their big picture.

They work quickly and tend to work smart.

Let’s see how things shake out as we head into the 10-race race for the 2024 Cup Series championship.

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NASCAR Playoffs Winning Odds

Courtesy of Hard Rock

+400: Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell

+425: Denny Hamlin

+600: Tyler Reddick, William Byron

+700: Ryan Blaney

+1200:Chase Elliott

+1600:Joey Logano

+1750: Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr.

+3000: Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman

+10000:Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton

Kyle Larson, yes, but Christopher Bell?

I wasn’t surprised to see Kyle Larson at the top, of course, but if he shared that top spot, I’d say Denny Hamlin is a better bet than Bell, although at +425, Denny is barely behind.

Since 1972, when the so-called “modern era” began in NASCAR, Hamlin is the winningest driver without a title. Year after year, it seems like we sit here at this point in the season and say maybe, just maybe, it’s his time. But then again, it’s so much easier to lose these things than it is to win them.

Can Michael Jordan add another championship to his list?

Next on the list above is Tyler Reddick, and if you stopped there and said that the future champion will come from those first four, I couldn’t argue with you. Reddick might enjoy championship vibes from one of his team’s co-owners – a guy named Michael Jordan, who has a nice collection of hardware in his home trophy case.

Okay, okay, let’s make an exception to this top four with the guy next to Reddick on the board, Billy the Kid.

Byron has been consistently inconsistent most of the season and rarely comes into the playoffs with all the power going to his rear axle. But it’s a Chevy Hendrick he drives, so if he gets his fourth win of the season in the next few weeks and then finds his footing and makes a run at the playoffs, would you be surprised?

I didn’t think so.

The next three or four guys, I’d be at least slightly surprised.

Will Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney find motivation for the playoffs?

Blaney had a good July, but events before and after haven’t provided much evidence to suggest he’s ready to defend his Cup title.

Ryan’s friend Chase has turned into Terry Labonte and started racking up points this year. He’s been steady for the most part, but he hasn’t been making headlines or making headlines.

Joey Logano is a two-time champion who knows his way to Phoenix, so he’s one of the few here who leaves you saying, “Well, I should have seen his change of course coming; this guy is too good to pass up.”

Kez has been very useful all season. A serious presence from him in the playoffs would be a pleasant but moderate surprise.

Which drivers have no chance?

Look at that odds table again. Everyone on the list after Keselowski, cross them off the list.

Yes, that includes Truex, who has seemed to have one foot on the beach for much of the year. Especially lately. His retirement party at the end of the year likely won’t double as a championship celebration — and no, stranger things do not have It happened at championship time. No champion has ever reached the playoffs that way, without a win in addition, and then flipped.

Among the underdogs, Ty Gibbs is the one who could be worth a few dollars at the box office. I repeat: once he wins his first Cup, expect others to follow, and perhaps in the near future.

If the trophy gods choose September or early October to bestow their blessings on Gibbs, don’t be too shocked.

This article was originally published in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Playoff Betting Odds: Kyle Larson Yes, Martin Truex Jr. No