2026 NASCAR Truck Series Championship Odds and Predictions

Like the other two major circuits of NASCAR, the Craftsman Truck Series has seen some notable changes from last year. In addition to the Chase Format being implemented for all three of the top Series of NASCAR, the 2025 Truck champ Corey Heim has left this circuit after providing fans with the greatest season in Truck Series history.

What’s even crazier about that, is the fact that Heim doesn’t have a full-time ride in any of the three major Series despite his record-setting performance last year.

With that in mind, the Craftsman Truck Series will now be wide open as Heim dominated the season from the green flag in Daytona to the checkered flag falling on the year.

This should provide even more excitement as there a handful of drivers with the skills to not only pick up some of the wins left behind from Heim’s departure, but to also be in the hunt for the Truck Series Championship.

With that said, let’s take a look at the latest Craftsman Truck Series Championship odds and make our predictions as to which driver will win the 2026 Truck Series Championship.

Make sure to check out our NASCAR Picks of the Week for a breakdown of our top NASCAR picks each week, which includes the Cup Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races, as well.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Odds

Check out the latest NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship odds, courtesy of the top sports betting sites:

Most NASCAR betting sites list five drivers all within each other’s bumpers at the top of the boards. While Layne Riggs and Ty Majeski are on the front row, Christian Eckes, Chandler Smith and Kaden Honeycutt are right behind them. Furthermore, with the field showcasing more parity than last year, there’s plenty of betting value, as well.

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Craftsman Truck Series Championship Favorites

The following drivers are considered the odds-on favorites to win the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series Championship:

Layne Riggs +275  

• Wins: 3
• Top 5s: 13
• Top 10s: 16
• Championship Points Finish: 5^th

Layne Riggs’ 2025 campaign showed us that he was ready to challenge for a Truck Series championship. Riggs took a major step forward in this area and was often a weekly rival to Heim last season. He finished with the second most wins in the Series but faded down the final rounds of the Playoffs.

Riggs was the one driver I thought could give Heim a run for his money in the postseason but it turned out that nobody could. Yet, I loved Riggs’ confidence when competing against Heim as he was not afraid to bump the 2025 champ out of the way on any given lap.

His 13 Top 5s were the second most of the Truck field, while his 9.1 average finish was the second best behind Heim. So, it’s easy to see why Riggs is the odds-on favorite heading into the 2026 season.

Will he take that next step to becoming a champion or will he fade in the postseason for a second straight year?

Ty Majeski +450

• Wins: 0
• Top 5s: 10
• Top 10s: 18
• Championship Points Finish: 2nd

Ty Majeski’s 2025 season was defined by consistency, discipline, and championship-level execution. Although he failed to win a race during the entire season, Majeski’s ability to maximize points every week made him a contender, which is evident by his second-place finish in the championship standings.

Majeski won the 2024 Truck Series championship and was a favorite to win the 2025 title, as well. However, he was unable to match the success that Heim had. So, without the 2025 champ in the mix this year, Majeski’s consistency should fare well in the Chase Format.

He’s a high-IQ driver who knows how to get his points even when not in contention for a win. This was evident by having the second most Top 10s (18) and the third best average finish (9.8).

In the 2025 Playoffs, Majeski finished inside the Top 8 in every race. He also had eight Top 5s in the last 11 races of the season. If he can carry that momentum into 2026, and find a checkered flag or two, then Majeski could win his second championship in the last three years.

Christian Eckes +650        

• Wins: 0
• Top 5s: 6
• Top 10s: 15
• Championship Points Finish: 13

After three years of competing in the Truck Series full time, Christian Eckes made a jump to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (Xfinity Series) last year. He tallied six Top 5s, 15 Top 10s, and finished 13^th in the standings.

Eckes decided that he was one and done with the sport’s no.2 circuit as he’s going back to the Truck Series and showing for that elusive championship.

In his 2024 Truck season, Eckes finished 3^rd in the standings after winning four races. In fact, over 2023 and 2024, Eckes posted eight wins, 25 Top 5s, and 35 Top 10s. He also cracked the Top 5 in 2023.

Eckes’ return to the Truck Series is perfect time due to the field being wide open among the top contenders. I fully expect that the 25-year-old will be a challenger for the title this year and should pick up a race win or two.

Chandler Smith +700

• Wins: 2
• Top 5s: 5
• Top 10s: 16
• Championship Points Finish: 8th

Chandler Smith’s 2025 season was a mix of highs and lows. The first half of the season saw numerous highs including wins at North Wilkesboro and Bristol. The second half saw a number of bad finishes and an early elimination in the Playoffs.

Nevertheless, Smith was the only other driver to win more than once race last year. He also finished with five Top 5s and 16 Top 10s.

While inconsistency plagued his 2025 season, especially with five finishes of 19^th or worse in the final nine races of the season, Smith will benefit from a strong offseason and the departure of Heim.

With greater Top 5 consistency and fewer racing mistakes, Smith has all of the tools to contend for a 2026 Truck championship.

Kaden Honeycutt +700    

• Wins: 0
• Top 5s: 4
• Top 10s: 14
• Championship Points Finish: 3rd

Kaden Honeycutt’s 2025 season marked his emergence as a legitimate driver and championship contender. He surprised the field, and oddsmakers, with a third-place result in the championship standings. It marked the most consistent and successful campaign of his young career.

It also marked the fact that the 22-year-old driver has the talent to compete in the Truck Series along with a bright future heading into the 2026 season.

While he didn’t score a win on the season, his 14 Top 10s showed improvement throughout the year and an ability to compete on all types of tracks.

This young driver is resilient and it showed in his 10.1 average start, which was the fourth best mark among the field. If he can build off that mark with an improvement on his 12.8 average finish, then we’re looking at another year where Honeycutt is battling for the championship.

Best Craftsman Truck Series Championship Value

The following Craftsman Truck Series drivers offer the best betting value based on their previous success and current odds:

Grant Enfinger +1200

• Wins: 0
• Top 5s: 7
• Top 10s: 14
• Championship Points Finish: 7th

The veteran driver experienced a roller-coaster season in 2025, with five DNFs including two in the final three races of the season. Enfinger finished 7^th in the standings despite a clear step back from his previous years.

In 2024, he was 4^th in the standings. And, in 2023, Enfinger finished as the runner up. So, the 40-year-old driver definitely has the potential to compete for a championship. He just needs to find consistency and avoid trouble.

In his nine full-time years as a Truck Series driver, Enfinger has 11 wins. Half of those wins came from 2022 to 2024. While I wouldn’t list him as a favorite, Enfinger definitely provides some value with his championship odds.

Tyler Ankrum +1800

• Wins: 1
• Top 5s: 8
• Top 10s: 15
• Championship Points Finish: 4th

Tyler Ankrum quietly delivered a strong 2025 season, as he finished 4^th in the standings and made the Championship Four. Ankrum captured a checkered flag last year, at Rockingham.

His consistency to flirt with Top 15 finishes, and only one DNF on the year, put Ankrum in position to capture points and fly under the radar all the way to the Championship Race.

Ankrum excelled at intermediate tracks and showed improvement throughout the year on tracks that were considered more challenging to his driving skills. Yet, his fourth-place finish reflected a driver that’s evolved into a legitimate championship contender. So, it’s rather surprising to see Ankrum’s odds at +1800 when he was a Final Four competitor.

Daniel Hemric +2200

• Wins: 1
• Top 5s: 10
• Top 10s: 15
• Championship Points Finish: 9th

If we were to throw out the postseason last year, then Daniel Hemric would’ve been one of the Top 3 or 4 drivers. He consistently ran in the Top 10 and showed a veteran presence that elevated his team to contention each and every week.

Unfortunately, he closed out the year with three straight DNFs with two of those being crashes. Yet, we’re talking about a former Xfinity Series Champion (2021), which means that this adversity shouldn’t cause any issues heading into the 2026 season.

His 2021 championship marked a high-level of consistency. While he only won one race that year, Hemric posted 15 Top 5s and 21 Top 10s in 33 races. If he can recapture that level of consistency, then Hemric will be a true championship contender in the Truck Series this year.

Top Craftsman Truck Series Championship Longshot

Brenden Queen (+3300) is my longshot NASCAR pick to win the Craftsman Truck Series championship in 2026. Queen is making his Truck debut as a full-time driver after dominating the ARCA Series last year, where he posted eight wins, 17 Top 5s, and 17 Top 10s in 20 races.

Regardless of the level of competition, that type of winning and success gives a driver confidence heading into a new challenge.

Last year, Queen competed in two Truck races and scored one Top 10. He has five Truck Series starts in his career, with one Top 5 and two Top 10s. So, he clearly can handle the trucks and contend for high finishes. Let’s see how that translates into a season long journey. As of now, his longshot odds are worthy of a flier.

Craftsman Truck Series Championship Predictions

I hate picking the odds-on favorite at the start of the season, but it’s really hard to argue against Layne Riggs this year. His upward trajectory in 2025, showed that Riggs was a legitimate championship contender with the confidence and Moxy to race against anyone, especially Heim.

I would like to also point out that his three wins all came in the second half of the season, which shows an evolution from challenger to championship contender. Although he finished 5^th, the 23-year-old has all of the skills to capitalize on the Chase Format, which rewards wins and consistency.

Riggs finished last year with the second most wins, second most Top 5s, and second-best average finish. When you combine that level of success with elite equipment and no Heim-Time, that leads me to believe that Riggs can win the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series Championship.

Bet: Layne Riggs (+275)

Craftsman Truck Series Championship Winners

The following is a list of the most recent Craftsman Truck Series Championship winners: