Before we jump in, it's worth our time to examine the current betting lines to win the championship. Per the online sportsbooks, there are really only a few contenders remaining in the 12-man field. Here are the top favorites to win:
| Driver |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +200 | +200 |
| Denny Hamlin | +550 | +550 |
| Chase Elliott | +700 | +700 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +750 | +750 |
| Kyle Busch | +800 | +800 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1400 | +1400 |
NASCAR 2021 Cup Series Standings
After three postseason races, here's where things stand in the 2021 Cup Series. We're days away from beginning the Round of 12 (signifying the twelve competitors remaining in the title picture). This stage is made up of three races. At the end of the stretch, the bottom-four drivers are eliminated from content.
At the moment, these are the four drivers facing elimination unless they can move up the standings — Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano (in that order from 12 to 9). The first opportunity to move the leaderboard is this Sunday at the South Point 400 in Las Vegas.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Kyle Larson. With six wins this season — including one playoff race at the Federated Auto Parts 400 — he is ahead of the pack. By a mile. Larson up to 3059 playoff points — 30 more than runner-up Truex Jr. This huge lead is why he's such a heavy betting favorite to take home the title.
Of course, we should mention playoff points only get you to "the final dance." In the season finale, which is in Phoenix this season, whoever finishes first among the four remaining drivers is declared the champion — points be damned!
NASCAR 2021 Cup Series Betting Pick(s)
Did you notice that (s) in the headline? That's right, we have more than one betting pick to win. You just have to, ok?
As we previously said, the championship race is a winner-take-all affair. In that scenario, anything can and will happen. You have to safeguard yourself against an expected turn of events and you do that by making at least two different bets. With that out of the way, here's who we are backing:
Kyle Larson
This was an easy bet, wasn't it? Perhaps too easy? Look, we get betting the favorites is never the "sexy" pick, but in this case, it's the no-brainer bet. As we pointed out, Larson is practically a lock to be in contention come the "Final Four" race.
Once in the title race, it's just a numbers game. With four drivers remaining, everyone has a theoretical 25 percent chance of winning it all. At this point in the postseason, that's a percentage you live with because so much can happen from now till Phoenix. Still, the likelihood is Larson stays in the championship driver's seat, hence our obvious betting pick here.
Betting pick: Larson (+200)
Martin Truex Jr.
We actually believe Truex Jr. is slightly undervalued at only +750 to win — which is fourth-most in the entire betting field. It doesn't make sense given he's presently second among playoff drivers.
But more than anything, we're betting with Truex because he's been the most consistent postseason performer in the circuit for four years now. In that stretch, he's survived until the Final Four on three occasions (winning it in 2017 too). Again, you just have to get into the final and from there, it's anyone's guess what happens. Truex will likely be in that mix, which warrants a wager from us.
Betting pick: Martin Truex Jr. (+750)
How To Watch The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series?
Every remaining race of 2021 will be exclusively broadcast on NBC or its NBC Sports Network affiliate. Start times are generally around 2 pm or 3 pm EST. Here are a few key dates to mark on your calendar right now:
- September 26 — South Point 400 in Las Vegas (round of 12 opener)
- October 17 — Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 in Fort Worth (round of 8 opener)
- November 7 — Season Finale 500 in Phoenix (the winner-take-all championship race)
How To Bet NASCAR Cup Series
You have seven more chances at betting NASCAR before the Cup Series is decided. If you want to take advantage of every last opportunity, then we'd advise you to visit one of the bookmakers listed in the underneath table. You'll find up-to-date lines for every single race left, plus futures on the title winner like we covered.
There's a reason why we're suggesting the bookmakers that we are, though. Beyond can't-beat NASCAR betting prices, these sites also have killer — and we mean killer — sign-up bonuses available to first-time players. Bonuses that can guarantee you money before a NASCAR race even goes off.
You see, the charm with sign-up bonuses is the free play it offers instantly. Free play can reach up to as much as $2500, which is the case at BetUS. The table underneath has full details on the bonuses currently available as it's different from site to site.
To earn your big-money bonus, just hit the "play now" button that corresponds to the sign-up bonus that's best for you (based on the max reward and match percentage). Completing the bonus process takes a few short minutes and after that, you can spend the funds freely, whether that's on NASCAR or even the NFL.
