With a second-place finish at Pheonix, Ryan Blaney won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. While Kyle Larson was favored to win prior to the Championship 4 at +150, it was Blaney who's odds were +900 that won.
2023 NASCAR Cup Championship Odds
| Driver | Current Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +150 |
| Christopher Bell | +250 |
| William Byron | +300 |
| Ryan Blaney | +900 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1100 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1500 |
| Tyler Reddick | +2200 |
| Chris Buescher | +7500 |
Odds as of October 27
Should Ryan Blaney have been the favorite to win nASCAR championship?
I didn't have Blaney on my radar. As in I didn't give him much consideration to win. Outside of Larson as the favorite, my two dark horses were Christopher Bell and Willaim Byron.
Blaney has averaged an 8.4 finish at Phoenix but over his last five races at Avondale, Blaney averaged a 4.0 finish. He didn't need to win at Phoenix remember, he just needed to pick up more points than his three other competitors. Which is exactly what he did of course.
Looking at his three competitors in the Championship race, taking Blaney would have been the right call:
| Driver | Average Finish (Last 5 Races) |
|---|---|
| Christopher Bell | 12 |
| Kyle Larson | 11 |
| William Byron | 10 |
| Ryan Blaney | 4.4 |
Last season I called for Joey Logano to win and took him at +600 which cashed. But I made the wrong call this season. That's fine. It happens.
We'll go into next season with this in mind when the Championship 4 comes about. There's no need to back a champ early in the season, you'll still find plenty of value later on in the season.
Last 10 NASCAR Cup Champions
| Year | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske |
| 2022 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
| 2021 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2020 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2019 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2018 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
| 2017 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing |
| 2016 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2015 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2014 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing |
I know we make championship wins more about the individual (and for good reason – they’re driving the cars), but we can’t forget about the team backing them.
With a Blaney Sprint Cup win this year, Team Penske now has three championships in the last decade. That's the same number as Hendrick Motorsports
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NASCAR Cup Championship FAQ
Who is the favorite for the 2023 NASCAR championship?
Kyle Larson currently leads the NASCAR Cup championship oddsboard with odds at +400. William Byron is second at +450.
Who won the last NASCAR Cup championship?
In 2022, Joey Logano (Team Penske) won the NASCAR Cup championship. It was his second career championship.
Who has won the last five NASCAR Cup championships?
Here is the list of the last five NASCAR Cup champions as well as the car's owner:
- 2018 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
- 2019 - Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)
- 2020 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
- 2021 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
- 2022 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
