NASCAR Cup Series Championship odds: Betting lines updated after Chicago Street Race

The odds for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series title have been updated following what was an eventful return to the streets of Chicago in the Grant Park 165.

With Shane van Gisbergen’s car wrecked following an incident with Chase Briscoe, it was anyone’s race in the Windy City, and Alex Bowman took full advantage. The sometimes forgotten fourth wheelman of the Hendrick Motorsports stable reminded the world why he earned the right to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet.

Now fully locked into the playoffs, Bowman can turn his attention to contending for his first Cup Series title in 2024. Who will be his strongest competitors? DraftKings Sportsbook has released the full, updated odds for the Cup Series championship this season following Chicago, check them out below.

Kyle Larson (+400)

Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Larson seemed like the wheelman who was best suited to give Shane van Gisbergen a run for his money on Sunday. In a shocking twist, both Larson and SVG ended up with DNFs on the afternoon, as the former NASCAR Cup Series champion came home P39 on the afternoon.

Moving ahead to this weekend’s race in Pocono, it’s a track where Larson has never won, but he’s come close on multiple occasions. Last season, the Hendrick Motorsports wheelman finished P20 in the mountains, so he’ll be hoping for a much better run in 2024.

Denny Hamlin (+450)

Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The struggle has been real for Denny Hamlin over the last couple of weeks. The Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman thankfully has three wins on the season, so his P30 finish at Chicago doesn’t hurt him, but the last couple of weeks haven’t gone the No. 11 driver’s way.

Over the course of his career, Pocono has been one of, if not Hamlin’s best track on the schedule. He won his first two races at the Tricky Triangle, and he also returned to Victory Lane in 2023. There’s plenty of merit for the No. 11 to win next weekend.

Christopher Bell (+450)

Christopher Bell was battling for the lead all afternoon in Chicago, and he was the leader when the field was split between wet weather tires and slicks. While Bell likely could’ve caught the leaders before the final lap, the No. 20 was involved in a wreck, and he ended up with a DNF on the afternoon in Chicago.

Looking ahead, Pocono has been a mixed bag for Bell. While he’s amassed two top five finishes, he’s also finished P39 and P32 in the past, so it’s anyone’s guess what Bell will show up to Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon.

William Byron (+550)

While William Byron wasn’t exactly a factor near the front for most of the afternoon, he still ended up with a solid finish in Chicago. The No. 24 wheelman brought his Chevrolet home P8, as he watched his teammate cruise to a win in Illinois.

Throughout the course of his career, Byron has raced well in Pocono. He’s never finished below P18, which is actually his worst finish at the track. However, he’s never won at the track, so perhaps Sunday will be a fruitful trip for the No. 24.

Ryan Blaney (+1000)

Ryan Blaney continued his successful start to the summer in Chicago over the weekend. The reigning Cup Series champion left the street course with a top ten, finishing P10 on the unique track when it was all said and done.

As we move ahead to Pocono, Blaney has some awesome memories at the track, as he won for the Wood Brothers back in 2017 at the Tricky Triangle. While the track hasn’t been good to him the last two seasons, with finishes of P30 and P33, Blaney will be looking to win his second race of the season in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Chase Elliott (+1000)

Chase Elliott had a serious gripe with Daniel Suárez after the Chicago Street Race. The No. 9 went from a firm top ten to being spun in the final lap of the race, and he wasn’t happy about it afterwards, following his P21 finish on the afternoon.

Elliott has raced at Pocono 14 times over the course of his Cup Series career, and he’s won at the track once, which came in 2022. Can he win his second race at the track, and his second race of the season? It remains to be seen, but it’d be a popular result if it came true.

Joey Logano (+1200)

Joey Logano did everything he could to try and gain as much experience as possible for Sunday’s race, as he ran the Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon. While he came home in the top ten on Saturday, Sunday wasn’t as fruitful, as Logano finished P23 in the Cup Series’ event.

Over the course of his long Cup Series tenure, Logano has raced at Pocono 28 times. He’s never won at the Tricky Triangle, so perhaps he’ll have some luck after a tough showing in Chicago over the weekend.

Martin Truex Jr. (+1400)

Martin Truex Jr. was battling inside the top ten over the final laps of the Grant Park 165, but it all fell apart for the No. 19. In the end, Truex Jr. finished P33, which wasn’t a good result for the Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman, as he needs as many points as he can gain until he returns to Victory Lane.

Of course, Truex Jr. is from the North East, and while Pocono isn’t exactly his home track, it’s close enough. He’s won there twice, and he came home P3 last season. A win at the Tricky Triangle would lock him into the playoffs.

Tyler Reddick (+1400)

Jun 23, 2024; Loudon, New Hampshire, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick (45) is introduced before the start of the USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Reddick was running down Alex Bowman before the checkered flag came out, but the No. 45 hit the wall late in the final laps, and he had to settle for a P2 finish. Reddick was obviously disappointed, but a second-place finish after an eventful afternoon isn’t anything to pout about.

While Reddick has never won at Pocono, he’s come close the last two seasons. He has back-to-back runner-up finishes at the track, so the 23XI Racing wheelman will be hoping to break on through to Victory Lane in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Brad Keselowski (+2000)

Jun 23, 2024; Loudon, New Hampshire, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (6) is introduced before the start of the USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Brad Keselowski has never been a favorite on any type of road course, but he was holding his own in the top ten, until he was wrecked on the final lap. Still, the No. 6 wheelman impressed, and he came home with a P18 finish on Sunday.

Since joining the Cup Series full-time, Keselowski has raced at the Tricky Triangle 26 times in his career. He won back in 2011, and he’s come close a couple of times since, including three runner-up finishes. He’s an interesting driver to keep an eye on ahead of next weekend’s iteration of the Cup Series in Pocono.

Updated NASCAR Cup Series Championship Odds after Chicago Street Race:

Chris Buescher (+2500)

Alex Bowman (+2500)

Ty Gibbs (+2800)

Ross Chastain (+2800)

Kyle Busch (+5000)

Austin Cindric (+8000)

Chase Briscoe (+10000)

Bubba Wallace (+10000)

Josh Berry (+12000)

Daniel Suarez (+12000)

Michael McDowell (+15000)

Erik Jones (+50000)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+80000)

Ryan Preece (+80000)

John Hunter Nemechek (+80000)

Carson Hocevar (+80000)

Corey LaJoie (+100000)

Austin Dillon (+100000)

Daniel Hemric (+100000)

Zane Smith (+100000)

Justin Haley (+100000)

Todd Gilliland (+100000)

Harrison Burton (+100000)

As you can tell, DraftKings still believes in Kyle Larson as the prohibitive favorite for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series title, even after his subpar performance in Chicago. Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell remain hot on his trail though. We’ll see if any of the top three can strengthen their case at Pocono this weekend.

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