NASCAR champion has to be loving where he's at right now

The first of three round of 8 races is in the books, and there are just two more races on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff schedule until the Championship 4 field is set.

Team Penske's Joey Logano became the first driver to punch his ticket to the winner-take-all season finale at Phoenix Raceway in two weeks by winning the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leaving three spots open over the next two weekends at Homestead-Miami Speedway at Martinsville Speedway.

Teammate Ryan Blaney is among the four drivers below the Championship 4 cut line heading to Homestead-Miami. After a disappointing 32nd place finish at Las Vegas, the reigning series champion finds himself 47 points below the cutoff, likely in need of a win to advance.

Blaney was in a similar position last year.

Blaney was disqualified after the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas, which he initially finished in sixth place, though he ended up having his sixth place finish reinstated after NASCAR found an issue with the inspection process.

But those who got in on Blaney's odds when they were published after the disqualification was first announced were rewarded greatly, as he was listed as a +3400 championship longshot.

Even with the overturned disqualification, Blaney still entered Homestead-Miami Speedway 17 points below the cut line. But it was the win in the following race at Martinsville Speedway that clinched him a spot in the Championship 4 for the first time his career.

So even if the disqualification had stood, Blaney still would have gotten to the Championship 4, where he clinched his first career title with a second place finish behind a driver who was no longer championship eligible in Trackhouse Racing Team's Ross Chastain.

This time around, Blaney's odds are in a similar position.

In fact, he supposedly has a better chance to win the title this year than he did at this point last year. At DraftKings Sportsbook, he is listed at +2200, ahead of only Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott among the eight remaining title contenders.

After last year, it's probably right where he wants to be.

Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson is the favorite at +260, ahead of Team Penske's Joey Logano at +300. Logano is the only driver locked into the Championship 4. Points leader Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing is listed third at +330.

Full NASCAR Cup Series championship odds can be found here. Odds and availability are always subject to change.

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