Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott did his best to put an end to the narrative that he's merely riding around collecting points, going from 10th to first place in double overtime at Kansas Speedway to seal the victory after drama unfolded between 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin as they battled for the lead.
Elliott joined Team Penske's Ryan Blaney, who won the round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in punching his ticket to the round of 8, marking his eighth semifinal round appearance in nine years. However, unlike Blaney's win the previous weekend, Elliott's win did not move the needle in terms of making him the favorite to win a second championship.
Blaney, who won the 2023 championship, is still listed as the favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook, and he's listed at +330, his shortest odds of the year.
Elliott's odds are also the shortest they've been, but at +650, he's only tied for fifth with teammate William Byron.
Top 3 favorites to challenge Ryan Blaney don't include Chase Elliott
There's a three-way tie for second place between Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson, who had been the favorite for most of the year, and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, two others who have also spent time as outright favorite at some point in 2025. These three drivers are listed at +500.
Nobody else is listed with odds shorter than +1400. Team Penske's Joey Logano and Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe, the only other two drivers currently above the round of 8 cut line, are both listed at +1400. All four drivers currently below the cutoff are listed with odds of +3500 or longer.
As for why Elliott, who was listed at +1000 prior to his win, still isn't listed as a championship favorite, it's important to consider the fact that, even if the 2020 champion sweeps the stages at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and wins the race, he would only have 25 playoff points, which would rank sixth in the series.
So in all likelihood, assuming the drivers who look poised to advance to the semifinal round do so, Elliott would enter the round of 8 below the Championship 4 cut line, even with back-to-back wins and the momentum on his side. It's entirely possible, too; he is a two-time Roval race winner.
Additionally, up until late June, Elliott had just one win since October 2022. Sure, he's proven he's not here to "ride around collecting points", but the No. 9 team's consistency has been measured by top 10 finishes and top 20 finishes, not by their ability to consistently run at the front like we've seen from several other championship contenders.
Still, he's shown he knows how to win when it counts before. He also entered the 2020 Roval race with two wins, and he won that race and added two more victories en route to winning the championship.
Full NASCAR Cup Series championship odds can be found here. Odds and availability are always subject to change.
Tune in to USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, October 5 for the live broadcast of the Bank of America Roval 400 from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss any of the action!