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Are you ready for some NASCAR racing? You should be as the season is approaching quickly. It may be early in the new year of 2022 but teams are already well-prepped for the upcoming season which kicks off in less than two months with the Daytona 500. That mean’s it’s time to take a look at some futures for what driver is going to win the 2022 Cup Series Championship!
The landscape is slightly different than in past years. Drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr have long moved on. Several drivers have changed teams this season including Brad Keselowski who is now a driver/owner. And some familiar faces, such as Matt Denbedititto, have lost their rides to younger drivers.
Still, at the end of the day, it’s a bunch of cars going fast with the best pilots in motorsports driving them! Now, thanks to Betonline, NASCAR fans can try to name the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Champion! What better way to end NASCAR’s “Silly Season” than getting started with a chance to win some coin before the season even starts?
Three Drivers That Could Win the 2022 Cup Series Championship
The odds list is pretty obvious as the best drivers coming out of the 2021 season are all riding the top spots. But there is one big issue that everyone needs to keep in mind. There is a brand new car this year and every note that every team and every crew chief made last year is nearly worthless. Meaning, you may have to factor in your “best guess” at what team, driver, and manufacturer you think will adapt to the changes the best.
Kyle Larson +350
Kyle Larson has put his issues behind him in spectacular fashion. There is no need to cover that ground here. Larson returned to the Cup Series in a manner that other drivers feared. He ended up in better equipment than he had ever had before. And that showed almost instantly as Larson started clicking off wins. He won 10 races last season which is the highest by a Cup Series Champion since Jimmie Johnson did it in 2007. Before that, it was Jeff Gordan with 13 wins in 1998 and 10 in 1997. Larson may be in a new style of car, but he’s won in every version of a Cup Car since he joined the series. And, you would have to think Hendrick Motorsports would be one of the teams ahead of the learning curve.
Chase Elliott +550
Much of the argument made for Kyle Larson applies to Chase Elliott as he was the 2020 Cup Series Champion the year before Larson grabbed the title. And, the two drivers are racing as teammates for Hendrick Motorsports. Elliot won the title two seasons ago and was in the running to repeat this last year before Larson started to dominate. Now Elliott returns with a familiar team and more wins on his resume. He’s become one of the youngest “seasoned veterans” in the garage area. Plus, Elliott has shown he can win on multiple track styles which bodes well for the 2022 schedule.
Martin Truex Jr +1000
Martin Truex Jr won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2017 and came close to repeating the following season. Since that time, his team Furniture Row Racing, which was an affiliate team of Joe Gibbs Racing, was shuttered and Truex officially moved to JGR. Yes, that’s old news for most fans. But, I point it out because now Truex has several seasons under the JGR banner and the playing field is now completely even due to the rollout of the new car. Before, Truex was essentially the “new” JGR team and was building things from scratch. All of that has changed. At the very least, that issue can’t be used as an excuse. Truex seems to adapt well to new setups so he should slide into the new car design with ease.
Dark Horse Picks: Ryan Blaney (+1200) and Kevin Harvick (+1200) are two Ford drivers that are hoping that their teams and manufacture have figured things out with the new car. Blaney and Harvick have both been in the Championship mix even with Harvick’s tough season last year. Space and time do not allow me to list more drivers for this article… but if I could, there would be several more Ford drivers to mention. And, you can never count out two-time Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Toyota for Coach Gibbs.
2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Futures Odds
Here are the current odds to win the NASCAR Championship in 2022. Note, not all drivers are listed – only those that are driving a full schedule as of January 3, 2022. Most of the driver changes have taken place so don’t expect too many changes. Also, there are always drivers that drive in a few select races. Those drivers are not generally included in these types of futures as they are not eligible to win a Championship under NASCAR rules.
Kyle Larson +350
Chase Elliott +550
Denny Hamlin +650
William Byron +800
Kyle Busch +900
Martin Truex Jr +1000
Joey Logano +1000
Ryan Blaney +1200
Kevin Harvick +1200
Alex Bowman +1800
Christopher Bell +2000
Brad Keselowski +2000
Kurt Busch +2500
Tyler Reddick +2800
Austin Cindric +8000
Ross Chastain +8000
Chase Briscoe +8000
Austin Dillon +8000
Daniel Suarez +8000
Justin Haley +10000
Bubba Wallace Jr +10000
Aric Almirola +10000
Harrison Burton +15000
Cole Custer +15000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +25000
Erik Jones +25000
Chris Buescher +25000
Todd Gilliland +30000
Michael McDowell +30000
Corey Lajoie +50000
Cody Ware +100000
Josh Bilicki +100000
Want to become a better NASCAR handicapper? Read our NASCAR statistics guide detailing all of the most important stats you should be analyzing before every race.
