NASCAR: Kyle Larson no longer the 2024 championship favorite

Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson is the only one of the eight remaining NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders who did not finish inside the top 10 in either one of the first two races of the round of 8.

The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet has a massive lead over the other seven contenders in playoff points, so he began the round of 8 as the points leader.

But a rough start to the round has seen him drop to third place in the standings – and fifth in the playoff picture, since two drivers below him have won to advance to the Championship 4.

Team Penske's Joey Logano secured his spot in the Championship 4 by winning the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick secured his by winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway this past Sunday afternoon.

Heading into this Sunday afternoon's race at Martinsville Speedway, Larson, who had been the outright championship betting favorite, is no longer favored to win a second title this year at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Kyle Larson championship odds lengthen

Prior to this Sunday's 500-lap Xfinity 500 round of 8 finale at the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Ridgeway, Virginia oval, there is a three-way tie at the top, with Logano, Reddick, and Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell all listed at +340.

Bell leads the standings by 22 points over Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron, and at least one driver is guaranteed to advance to the Championship 4 on points. He is 29 points above the Championship 4 cut line.

Byron, who won at Martinsville in April, has a seven-point lead over Larson for the fourth and final Championship 4 spot, though Larson is still listed ahead of Byron at +600. Byron is listed at +750.

For Sunday's race itself, Larson and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamin are listed as co-favorites at +500. Hamlin is 18 points below the Championship 4 cut line and listed at +2200 to win the championship.

Full odds for all drivers can be found here. Odds and availability are always subject to change.

Tune in to NBC at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, November 3 for the live broadcast of the Xfinity 500 from Martinsville Speedway. Start a free trial of FuboTV now if you have not already had the chance to do so!