The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season is coming to an end, with just four races remaining before the playoffs.
The regular season is in a tight contest, with Kyle Larson trailing Chase Elliott by 10 points and Tyler Reddick by 15 points.
Perhaps the more interesting battle will be for the final playoff spot.
Bubba Wallace is trailing Chris Buescher by 17 points and Ross Chastain by seven points.
Of course, a new winner could move the cut line.
DraftKings has Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell (+450) as favorites to win the race.
William Byron (+600) and defending champion Ryan Blaney (+800) are the other drivers with multiple wins.
With NASCAR on a two-week hiatus for the Olympics, we’re combing the futures markets to suggest the four best bets.
Bubba Wallace Makes the Playoffs (+180, bet365)
Three weeks ago, Joey Logano pulled himself out of the playoff picture with a decisive win in Nashville.
That was bad news for Wallace, who was 51 points away from making the playoffs at the time.
A win seemed the only way forward for him, but a string of strong recent finishes has made a points haul more likely.
Wallace has placed 13th or better in four consecutive tournaments, including Nashville.
His biggest rival, Chastain, has finished 15th or worse for four consecutive years.
Wallace will take on strong tracks at Michigan and Daytona.
Chastain is still the better driver, but Wallace has shown more speed to make the playoffs.
William Byron will miss Championship Round 4 (-120, bet365)
Byron became the first driver to win multiple races three years in a row, and he looked like a favorite to win, winning three of the first eight races.
Since finishing third at Charlotte, things have been going downhill.
He finished 15th or worse in five of the eight races and never led a lap.
He remains one of the favorites to win the championship thanks to playoff points, but speed is the bigger issue.
Now, there are at least six or seven drivers who are speeding up every week.
Only playoff points will get him this far.
His current pace probably won’t be enough to overtake the favorites and progress to the last four.
Winning manufacturer: Toyota (+120, bet365)
Toyota has the fewest drivers but is in a strong position in the championship, with Hamlin and Bell the favorites, and Reddick not far behind.
Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs should also be in the playoffs.
Bell should be the favorite to win the title.
He’s second in playoff points and just won last week at Phoenix. Hamlin is one of the top contenders every week and has the points needed to win the playoffs.
Redick is having a very solid season and some parallels are being drawn with Blaney’s 2023 campaign.
He wasn’t a favorite for the championship, but he came on strong at the right time and won the title.
Bell and Hamlin are easily the top three contenders, with Reddick close behind.
And don’t miss Truex’s final full-time season.
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Exact rankings: 1. Christopher Bell, 2. Ryan Blaney (25/1, bet365)
There are still 14 races left this season and anything can happen.
It makes sense to bet on one longshot, and I’ll be rooting for the two best drivers in Phoenix.
Phoenix is a championship race, so being fast on the track is very important.
Bell proved what he’s capable of by winning a race this spring.
Blaney, meanwhile, has six consecutive top-five finishes at the track.
As of now, both drivers are in the top five in playoff points.
Bell has reached the final four for the second straight year, while Blaney won the title last season.
Both are likely to compete for the championship.
I think Bell will win and Blaney will come second.
