NASCAR title odds see some big changes after opening round

The NASCAR Cup Series championship odds have been given a fresh update ahead of the second round of the 2021 playoffs, with a few big changes.

The opening three-race round of the four-round, 10-race 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs came to a dramatic end this past Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Four of the 16 drivers who entered the postseason with a chance to win the championship saw their title hopes dashed, while the other 12 have advanced to the round of 12.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell have all been eliminated from championship contention.

There are seven races remaining on this year’s schedule, and three of them are in the round of 12.

Those three races are set to be contested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

Take a look at the updated championship odds, courtesy of WynnBET, among the 12 remaining title contenders entering the round of 12, and take a look at what each of their odds were ahead of the round of 16.

• Kyle Larson
  • Now: +200
  • Was: +260
• Denny Hamlin
  • Now: +450
  • Was: +750
• Martin Truex Jr.
  • Now: +600
  • Was: +900
• Chase Elliott
  • Now: +1000
  • Was: +650
• Kyle Busch
  • Now: +1100
  • Was: +750
• Ryan Blaney
  • Now: +1200
  • Was: +1400
• Kevin Harvick
  • Now: +1600
  • Was: +1600
• Joey Logano
  • Now: +1600
  • Was: +1000
• William Byron
  • Now: +1800
  • Was: +1200
• Brad Keselowski
  • Now: +2200
  • Was: +1200
• Alex Bowman
  • Now: +2500
  • Was: +1600
• Christopher Bell
  • Now: +3300
  • Was: +2000

Make your pick now on WynnBET.

Despite the elimination of four drivers, only four of the remaining 12 drivers have shorter odds to win the title now than they did when the playoffs began. Kyle Larson has solidified his status as an even heavier favorite, and Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney have all seen their odds improve as well.

Hamlin and Truex, like Larson, each won one of the three round of 16 races, and Blaney was able to comfortably survive what many had believed to be his toughest set of three playoff tracks.

Kevin Harvick is the only driver who saw his odds remain the same. Like he did in the round of 16, he is set to start the round of 12 in last place among the championship eligible drivers in the standings.

Reigning champion Chase Elliott has the best odds among the seven drivers who saw their odds get worse ahead of the round of 12.

The round of 12-opening South Point 400 is set to be broadcast live from Las Vegas Motor Speedway on NBC Sports Network beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, September 26. So start your free trial of FuboTV today if you have not already done so!