Jimmie Johnson is still the favorite at the sportsbook to win the Sprint Cup Championship but just barely.Johnson has won the last four NASCAR titles but he looks beatable this season. He is the offshore sportsbook favorite at +250 while Kyle Busch is a close second at +300 while Denny Hamlin is +500.
Sportsbook odds list two other drivers with single-digit odds to win the championship. Jeff Gordon is 7-1 while Kurt Busch is 8-1. The leader in the points race is Kevin Harvick and he is listed with NASCAR odds of 10.5 to 1 as is Jeff Burton who is 8th in the standings.
The value on the odds board at the offshore sportsbook could be with some drivers who are currently in the chase but who have double-digit odds. Matt Kenseth is fourth in the points yet he is 16-1 to win the championship. Carl Edwards is 9th in the standings and he is 22-1. Greg Biffle is 10th and he is also 22-1. Mark Martin is 11th and he is 17.5 to 1. Bowyer is currently 12th in the standings and he has the most value at 27-1.
Some drivers that are still within striking range of making the chase are Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray. Stewart doesn’t have a lot of value at 22-1 when he might not even make the chase. Earnhardt Jr. has no value at 35-1 since he simply doesn’t win races. Newman has a little bit of value at 37-1 but he has not shown the ability to win on a consistent basis. There is still time left for some of the drivers on the bubble or even those within five or ten spots to make a move.
This could be the season that Jimmie Johnson is beaten for the championship so it could be worth it to take a flyer on a driver or two. Denny Hamlin is the driver that has looked the best in recent weeks and his NASCAR odds of 5-1 could go lower as the season progresses. Kurt Busch has shown the ability to win races this season and his odds of 8-1 are appealing.