On the heels of the final off week of the 2026 season, the NASCAR Cup Series circuit is about to heat up again. Ahead of this Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway, there are 14 races left in the 2026 campaign and four until The Chase.
While the 2026 Cup Series champion will not be crowned until the conclusion of The Chase, that does not mean sports bettors cannot bet on who they believe will end the season hoisting the Cup title trophy.
Here, we will take a look at the current betting odds for who will be crowned the 2026 Cup Series champion later this year.
Denny Hamlin favored to win 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship
In the odds available on DraftKings Sportsbooks, as of Monday, August 3, Denny Hamlin is the odds-on favorite to win the 2026 Cup Series championship at +150. Amid his 21st full-time season of Cup competition, the driver of the No. 11 is seeking an elusive first Cup title.
Hamlin is the current Cup Series points leader with an 84-point advantage over Tyler Reddick. The 45-year-old has four victories in 2026, including three straight at Nashville, Michigan, and Pocono, respectively.
Hamlin’s first win of the campaign came at Las Vegas in March. In addition, the Joe Gibbs Racing star has racked up 12 top fives and 14 top 10s.
Reddick has the next-best odds to win the 2026 Cup title at +400. The driver of the No. 45 has a series-high five wins in 2026, including an unprecedented three straight to kick off the season.
Reddick’s five wins came within the first nine races of the season. The strong start kept the 23XI Racing driver atop the points standings for the first 17 races of 2026. However, a string of poor results allowed Hamlin to grab the points lead.
With four races remaining until The Chase, Reddick finds himself second in the points standings.
Ryan Blaney has the third-best odds at +650. The driver of the No. 12 has two victories in 2026 and sits third in the points standings. Blaney, the 2023 Cup champion, has totaled 15 top 10s, but only four top fives.
Defending Cup champion Kyle Larson sits at +800 odds to win the championship. Larson has been winless through 22 races this season, but has recorded 11 top 10s and eight top fives. The driver of the No. 5 sits eighth in the points standings with four races until The Chase.
Joey Logano and other NASCAR Cup title longshots
With the points reset prior to the 10-race Chase, anything is possible.
The shake-up is why it is worth looking at some longshots for the 2026 championship. Joey Logano, a three-time Cup champion, sits at +2000 odds to win the title.
While he is 13th in the points standings, the driver of the No. 22 entered the off week on a hot streak. Logano picked up a dominant win at North Wilkesboro and followed up with a third-place result at Indianapolis.
William Byron is another longshot worth looking at. The driver of the No. 24 is currently at +3000 to win the 2026 Cup title. Although the Hendrick Motorsports driver is winless so far this season, it is difficult to write off a HMS driver late in the season.
Chase Briscoe sits at +1800 odds to win the championship. The driver of the No. 19 has one win this season at Chicagoland.
Similar to 2025, Briscoe is heating up late in the season. Last year, Briscoe picked up two wins in the postseason and made it to the Championship 4 race. Do not be surprised if the Joe Gibbs Racing driver gets on a roll in The Chase.
NASCAR 2026 Cup Championship Odds: Current Favorites, Longshots