- Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron is the betting favorite to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
- Heading into the Round of 8, Byron has four Top 5 finishes and one win in the Cup Series Playoffs.
- Kyle Larson follows closely behind Byron to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series title at online betting sites.
According to BetUS, William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports is favored to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. With four races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Byron is a +325 favorite to win the title.
However, as we enter the first race of the Round of 8, Byron has plenty of company in the chase for the Cup Series title. The 2023 NASCAR Championship odds have Byron with the best odds at +325, while Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson is on Byron’s heels at +350.
At +325 odds, Byron has an implied probability of 23.5 percent to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Conversely, Larson has an implied probability of 22.2 percent. In other words, there isn’t much that separates Byron and Larson, according to BetUS.
There are some sports betting sites that see things differently, and have Larson and Byron at the same odds to win the NASCAR Championship. For instance, per BetOnline’s 2023 NASCAR Championship odds, Larson and Byron both have +325 odds to win.
Byron and Larson Dueling In The Playoffs
Byron and Larson have been by far the most consistent drivers in the NASCAR playoffs. Byron, the 25-year-old driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro, has four Top 5 performances and one win.
In six playoff races, Byron has finished P4, P15, P9, P1, P2, and P2. Since winning at Texas Motor Speedway in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Byron hasn’t finished worse than P2. Overall, Byron leads the Cup Series standings with six wins and 4,041 points.
Additionally, he has won a total of six wins and an average finishing position of 11.469. In the Playoffs, the No. 24 car owns an average finish of 1.66. Byron’s success this postseason has not been a flash in the pan. However, he was not favored to win the title entering the Playoffs.
Martin Truex Jr., who had a fantastic regular season, had the best odds to win at +400. Currently, at +450, Truex Jr. has the fourth-best odds to win the championship. In addition to Byron and Larson, Denny Hamlin is ahead of Truex Jr. at +400.
Before the green flag dropped on the Playoffs, Byron was +600 and Larson +650 to win. Now, these two Hendrick teammates are leading the grid as we approach the Round of 8.
Larson was red-hot earlier in the Playoffs, but has cooled off since. He opened the postseason with a winning performance at the Cook Out Southern 500. Larson followed by finishing P4, P2, P31, P15, and P13 most recently at the Charlotte Road Course.
Larson Favored To Win Round of 8 Opener
The NASCAR Cup Series turns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the sixth event of the Playoffs. BetUS appears confident that the duel between Byron and Larson will continue at the 1.5-mile oval in Las Vegas.
Currently, Larson is favored to win at Las Vegas with odds of +400. That said, Byron is right behind his teammate at +450 odds. In other words, the 2023 NASCAR Championship odds are not expected to shift too much after this weekend.
In the regular-season Las Vegas race, Larson was the runner-up for a strong P2 performance. The only driver that Larson finished behind was none other than the No. 24 car. Byron led 176 laps, while Larson was up on the leaderboard for 63 laps in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
While Byron is the favorite to win the championship, Larson has been here before. Larson won the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship and has the experience that is typically valued at this stage in the playoffs.
The Round of 8, which begins on Sunday, consists of three races. Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway. On November 5, with the running of the Championship 4, a champion will be crowned at Phoenix Raceway.
