As Talladega approaches, the NASCAR season is already through nine races. With the first quarter of the season behind us, now we can get start gauging out potential contenders and maybe a value pick or two.
Again we present the top 16 drivers listed below in our NASCAR Online Betting Odds for the 2022 Championship. This reveals some intriguing NASCAR Futures quarter update scenarios. It would appear that the young guns are serving notice that some breakout candidates for “The Chase” could emerge.
| NASCAR 2022 Cup Odds |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +490 | +500 |
| Chase Elliott | +710 | +700 |
| William Byron | +740 | +700 |
| Kyle Busch | +850 | +800 |
| Denny Hamlin | +920 | +900 |
| Ryan Blaney | +990 | +1000 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1225 | +1200 |
| Joey Logano | +1225 | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +1400 | +1600 |
| Alex Bowman | +1550 | +1400 |
| Tyler Reddick | +2100 | +2000 |
| Kevin Harvick | +2100 | +1600 |
| Chase Briscoe | +2300 | +2500 |
| Austin Cindric | +2700 | +2800 |
| Christopher Bell | +2800 | +2800 |
| Kurt Busch | +4200 | +4000 |
Kyle Larson is the favorite after the NASCAR futures quarter update. Larson has not meteorically risen up the standings just yet. While he has moved from 11th to 9th, the No. 5 car is still 75 points behind current leader, Chase Elliott. With several former Cup Champions ahead of him, Larson is facing stiff competition from those drivers and even more “young guns”.
In his first nine races, he has just one win, but four top-five finishes. The only troubling part may be those three DNF’s. Yes, Larson had some odd luck last year too. This year has not been easy.
Also, the Next-Gen car is a learning process. This has again resulted in the No. 5 car seeing his number lengthen out a bit to defend his title. This is not surprising and traditionally Larson does not excel all that well at Talladega either. Honestly, super speedways have been dominated by Ford’s more over the past three years. Heck, Ryan Blaney has won twice on the 2.66-mile oval.
The big thing at VegasBetting, we suggest is to take the nine races as a body of work. There are definitely some interesting trends on speed, the Next-Gen car, and drivers being able to drive. Yes, there have been an elevated number of cautions which has limited some long-term runs in the first couple of months. Again, Kyle Larson is still a favorite to repeat as NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
It is understandable why Chase Elliott is an intriguing shot again. The driver won the NASCAR championship two years ago and still leads the drivers in points. He leads Ryan Blaney by three points in the standings. Joey Logano, from Team Penske, remains 21 points back in third. None of the top-three so far have won a race in this 2022 season. It does have the feel early on from 2021 somewhat.
So, the No. 9 car has been remarkably consistent in 2022. He has six top-ten results after nine races. Furthermore, Elliott has just one top-five but not a single DNF. Last year, Elliott had all sorts of problems as he did not get off to the greatest of starts (aside from a May win at Circuit of the Americas).
Again, Elliott is one of those drivers who gets it going as the season moves along. Last year, the Hendrick Motorsports Racing driver had to settle for fourth after that triumph in 2020. It was the early start which made things more difficult for the young gun. However, he persevered, and was in a position to repeat. Elliott and Larson both have relatable stories here. The difference is those other young guns.
With all that said, the NASCAR Futures Quarter Update says keep a keen eye on Chase Elliott.
Again, Ross Chastain has stayed in position during the NASCAR futures quarter update. The Trackhouse Racing driver is still in the top-ten in points just one ahead of Kyle Larson in eighth place. Unfortunately for Chastain, his engine blew up at Bristol right as Stage 2 finished. If the race had been rained out, he would have finished 11th. Instead, he took a DNF.
Chastain is the only driver with five top-five results so far in the first nine races. Again, Talladega is an equalizer. However, is Chastain our favorite top young guns pick? That’s a great question.
This is going to be a wild season and there are quite a few more candidates to consider. Look at drivers like Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe. They were neck and neck on Sunday night at Bristol before Briscoe tried a pass and spun both drivers out. There was a respect between the two drivers and it is clear they were the two fastest cars on the track. It will not be the first or last time.
Ryan Blaney carries a lot of Team Penske hopes that he can win his first title this year. He is second in the points and has come close to winning a few times this year. There are so many young drivers and Blaney also has two wins in six trips at Talladega since 2019. Again, it a high-risk track but if the Ford is close then look out. The No. 12 is getting better and better as an all-around driver. Blaney has wobbled around +1000 or so for the last month. His numbers may shorten later.
It is hard to discount any of the Hendricks to be honest. With William Byron and Alex Bowman able to win any week, that always changes things. Also, do not sleep on Kyle Busch who stole one last week at Bristol. He is the one Toyota driver other than maybe Martin Truex Jr. that has a shot among the old guard. Right now, it is a young guns game.
Take Kyle Larson as our pick to repeat and win the 2022 NASCAR championship.
See the top online betting sites, like MyBookie, where you can wager on this NASCAR future and much more for 2022.
