The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to get underway Sunday, Feb. 15, with the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Come Sunday, Nov. 8, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a champion will be crowned, though it won’t be decided based on the result of that singular race.
The Chase is back, replacing the elimination style, win-and-in championship format. After 26 regular season races, the top 16 drivers in the points standings will advance to be a part of the 10-race Chase. Those 10 races will determine the 2026 champion.
BetMGM has the latest championship odds with the Daytona 500 just 12 days away. The favorites include some familiar names.
1. Denny Hamlin (+375)
Hamlin takes the top spot, one year after coming as close as he’s ever been to winning his first championship. Now 45, the opportunities are shrinking for Hamlin to get the one piece of hardware that’s eluded him.
He remains at the top of his game, however, having won a series-high six races in 2025. If not for a late caution in last year’s Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin might already be champion. He’ll look to finally become one in 2026, which would put him among the all-time greats in NASCAR history.
2. Kyle Larson (+425)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Larson enters 2026 as the reigning champion. A two-time title winner, Larson is a threat for Victory Lane week in and week out.
Larson is in his prime and arguably getting even better. It would surprise nobody to see him go back-to-back, this time doing it under the Chase format.
3. William Byron (+575)
Byron is no longer a rising star in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has arrived, winning back-to-back Daytona 500s and earning three consecutive Championship 4 appearances.
The format is different, but the Chase should play well for Byron. The 28-year-old won the regular season championship in 2025; if he wins it again this season, he’ll have a significant advantage in the Chase.
4. Christopher Bell (+625)
Bell is one of the most consistent drivers in the sport. He’s finished top five in the points standings in each of the last four seasons.
Bell can be streaky, winning three straight races in February/March of last season before going winless through mid-September. Bell and the No. 20 team do a solid job of avoiding DNFs, something that will be key under the Chase format.
5. Ryan Blaney (+625)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Blaney and his wife, Gianna, welcomed their first child, Charley Bennett Blaney, into the world in November. Now a dad, Blaney is going for championship No. 2.
He won his first in 2023. He’ll be motivated after failing to reach the Championship 4 in 2025.
6. Chase Elliott (+1000)
Perhaps more than any driver in the field, the resurrection of the Chase should benefit, well, Chase. The 2020 champion is a finishing machine, opening last season with 23 straight top 20 finishes.
If he can continue to do that, Elliott will be, at the very least, in the mix. Look for him to be a popular pick outside the top five in odds.
7. Chase Briscoe (+1000)
Briscoe had a banner year in 2025. Replacing Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Briscoe won three races and made it to the Championship 4. He led 884 laps, fourth-most among drivers.
Briscoe and JGR was a perfect fit. He’s out to prove last year wasn’t a case of one-year wonder.
8. Joey Logano (+1800)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Logano is one of just a few drivers in the field to have competed under the original Chase format. The playoff system was kind to him, as he won three championships, two coming in the last four seasons.
Logano has been open that it’s not his job to have an opinion on the NASCAR championship format. Whatever it is, he intends to win it.
9. Tyler Reddick (+1800)
This is a big year for Reddick. He broke out in 2023 and nearly won the championship in 2024. Reddick was good in 2025, though he failed to get to Victory Lane.
Something seemed a bit off with the No. 45 team. Now, Reddick is headed into a contract year. Look for him to be a bounce-back candidate.
10. Connor Zilisch (+2000)
Well, would you look at this. Zilisch, only 19 years old, is in the top 10 in championship odds. The 2026 season will be his first as a full-time competitor in Cup.
Zilisch, a 10-time winner last season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, should be one of the favorites at every road course. If his oval work matches up, watch out for the Trackhouse Racing star.
Full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship odds:
Ross Chastain (+2500)
Bubba Wallace (+3500)
Carson Hocevar (+4000)
Ty Gibbs (+4000)
Chris Buescher (+4000)
Alex Bowman (+4000)
Josh Berry (+5000)
Brad Keselowski (+6000)
Kyle Busch (+6000)
Austin Cindric (+8000)
Ryan Preece (+8000)
Shane van Gisbergen (+12500)
Austin Dillon (+20000)
Erik Jones (+20000)
Daniel Suárez (+25000)
John Hunter Nemechek (+25000)
Noah Gragson (+50000)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+50000)
AJ Allmendinger (+50000)
Cole Custer (+50000)
Michael McDowell (+50000)
Todd Gilliland (+50000)
Ty Dillon (+50000)
Zane Smith (+50000)
Riley Herbst (+50000)
Cody Ware (+50000)
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