2020 NASCAR Cup Series Predictions – Championship Favorites & Big Names to Avoid: The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season is underway, and while no race can match the history and pageantry of the season-opening Daytona 500, the real racing begins with Race No. 2 when drivers and teams begin to figure out who has the speed on the traditional ovals that dominate the majority of the schedule.
Championship odds will undoubtedly change throughout the year, especially as the top drivers start to pile up wins and playoff points. Yes, you run the risk of backing a driver who ends up disappointing, but betting on a couple of title favorites early in the year can also be a great way to get the most favorable odds on the perennial title contenders.
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Predictions: Championship Favorites & Big Names to Avoid
Top Bets
Kyle Busch (+450)
The defending series champ is the best in the business, and in addition to capturing his second title in 2019, Busch led the series in top-10s, average finish and laps led while winning five times. He has won at least four races and made the Championship 4 in each of the past five seasons, and there is no reason to expect him to slow down any time soon. If you want to invest heavily in one of the favorites, I suggest backing Busch.
Kevin Harvick (+450)
He’s not getting any younger, but Harvick doesn’t seem to be slowing down either. He finished second in the series in top-10s and top-five finishes and ranked fourth in laps led. More importantly, he made the Championship 4 for the fourth straight year and the sixth time in the seven years of the format’s existence. Harvick has won multiple races in all seven seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, winning four or more races five times. He’s basically a lock to be competing for a title in the finale at Phoenix. Bet on the dependability.
Denny Hamlin (+500)
The 2019 season was the best all-around campaign of Hamlin’s career. In addition to posting career highs in most statistical categories, he led the series with 19 top-five finishes and ranked second in both wins and average finish. In terms of his age, Hamlin is entering what tends to be the prime of a driver’s career, so there is a good chance that he could top the impressive numbers he put up last year. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hamlin lead the series in wins in 2020, and I fully expect him to be part of the Championship 4 at Phoenix, a track where he went to victory lane last fall.
Joey Logano (+1000)
Logano was already one of the steadiest, most versatile drivers in the series, and he came out the winner in Team Penske’s offseason shuffling of crew chiefs. He will now be paired with Paul Wolfe, one of the most creative minds in the garage in terms of both setups and pit strategy. In a bit of down year in 2019, Logano still finished in the top five in the series in top-10s, average finish and laps led. Paired with Wolfe, look for Logano to regain the elite form that helped him capture the 2018 crown. At +1000, he’s also the best value among the title favorites.
Save Your Money
Martin Truex Jr. (+500)
He won the title in 2018 and was the runner-up last year, but over the offseason, his crew chief made the surprise decision to retire from the sport. With Cole Pearn atop the pit box, Truex emerged as one of the dominant drivers in NASCAR, and while he still one of the most talented drivers for arguably the best teams in the series, history is not on Truex’s side. First-year crew chiefs typically don’t win a lot of races, let alone championships. Maybe Truex and James Small buck that trend, but it is enough of a red flag to scare me off when there isn’t a lot of room for profit.
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