2019 NASCAR XFINITY Series Picks and Predictions: Championship Favorites

2019 NASCAR XFINITY Series Picks and Predictions – Championship Favorites: The 2019 NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs kicked off last weekend at Richmond Raceway, and while 12 drivers are still theoretically in the championship hunt, the reality is that three drivers have stood out from the pack all season. Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick have combined for 18 of the 22 victories by series regular this year, earning themselves the “Big 3” nickname along the way.

More importantly, these three drivers have piled up a ton of playoff points in the process, giving themselves a huge cushion on the rest of the competition in the battle to reach the Championship 4 and compete for the title in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. All three drivers can essentially have one bad race in every round and still be able to advance, which is a luxury no other playoff driver can afford.

Needless to say, Bell, Custer and Reddick are the clear championship favorites, and I fully expect the “Big 3” to claim three of the four spots in the title race with one of them emerging as the 2019 XFINITY Series champ. If you are placing a future bet on the eventual champion, I suggest putting a chunk on all three of these drivers.

2019 NASCAR XFINITY Series Picks and Predictions: Championship Favorites

The Favorites

Christopher Bell

He already clinched a spot in the second round of the playoffs with a dominant win at Richmond in the playoff opener. Bell now leads the series with seven wins and ranks second with 18 top-five finishes this season, and perhaps most impressively, his 1,687 laps led are 905 more than any other driver. He will probably win a few more times throughout the course of the postseason to advance to the Championship 4 automatically, but since he has also amassed a series-leading 52 playoff points, he can basically coast to the finale with decent finishes. Bell has 16 more playoff points than any other driver, and he has 45 more than the fifth-place driver. It is hard to imagine a scenario where he isn’t competing for the title at Homestead.

Cole Custer

Custer has found another gear in his third full-time season in the XFINITY Series, and he currently ranks second with six wins, 782 laps led and 36 playoff points. The 36 playoff points are 29 more than the fifth-place driver, which essentially gives Custer a mulligan in every round leading up to the championship finale. He also happens to be the best in the business at the site of the title race, Homestead. He dominated the competition in a win at the track two years ago, and he led a race-high 95 laps before questionable pit strategy resulted in a runner-up effort last season. With his track record at Homestead, it isn’t crazy to call Custer the championship favorite at this point.

Tyler Reddick

After running hot and cold in the 2018 regular season, he kind of came out of nowhere to capture the series title thanks to a consistent playoff run capped by perfect pit strategy and the ability to run the high line at Homestead. This year, Reddick has been strong since the green flag dropped at Daytona in February, and he currently leads the series with 20 top-five finishes, 23 top-10s and a 5.9 average finish, more than two spots better than any other driver. He has also won five times, helping him pile up 29 playoff points, the third most of any driver. Reddick’s stash of playoff points and unrivaled consistency should allow him to cruise into the Championship 4 to defend his crown.

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