NASCAR championship: There's a new No. 2 behind Kyle Larson
By Asher Fair
Entering the round of 8, for which he had qualified only because NASCAR disqualified Hendrick Motorsports' Alex Bowman from the round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Team Penske's Joey Logano sat in last place in the point standings, well below the cut line.
He was also listed as the longshot of the group, with his +1200 odds to win his third championship being the longest of the eight drivers still eligible to win this year's title.
Bear in mind, the other seven all sat in the top seven in total points scored through the season's first 32 races. Even with his disqualification, Bowman was eighth.
But Logano? 15th.
Yet the driver of the No. 22 Ford, who has never missed the Championship 4 in an even-numbered year since the modern format was introduced back in 2014, managed to defy the odds and get back to the winner-take-all round with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Logano's win locked him into the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. In 2018, 2020, 2022, and now 2024, he locked himself into the Championship 4 by winning the round of 8 opener, effectively giving himself an extra two weeks to prepare to pursue a championship.
He won the titles in 2018 and 2022.
Logano 2024 championship odds shorten
At DraftKings Sportsbook, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson entered the round of 8 with the points lead and as the championship favorite. He was listed at +370.
After Larson increased his gap over the Championship 4 cut line at Las Vegas, he is still the betting favorite at +260. After Logano punched his ticket to the Championship 4, he is now the second favorite, as his odds have shortened all the way down to +300.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell, who had been listed behind Larson at +450, saw his odds shorten to +330 after a runner-up finish behind Logano at Las Vegas promoted him to the points lead.
Full odds can be found here. Odds and availability are always subject to change.
Next. NASCAR team set for Homestead return after surprise absence. NASCAR team set for Homestead return after surprise absence. dark
Homestead-Miami Speedway is scheduled to host the Straight Talk Wireless 400 this Sunday, October 27. Bell won last year's race. NBC is set to provide live coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!
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