The NASCAR Cup Series heads into its playoff season with Denny Hamlin 2025 NASCAR championship odds drawing significant attention, as both Hamlin and Kyle Larson hold the top spots according to BetOnline Sportsbook. As the playoffs prepare to launch on August 31 at Darlington Raceway, a crowded field sets the stage for an unpredictable chase.
Playoff Field Takes Shape Ahead of Darlington
Returning to Daytona International Speedway for the regular-season finale, 14 drivers have already captured a win this year, securing their postseason participation. This leaves Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman as the leading contenders for the final two provisional playoff berths, with Chris Buescher trailing below the cut line—89 points behind Reddick and 60 behind Bowman—intensifying the competition as the field tightens.
The postseason begins shortly, promising high-stakes drama after a dynamic regular season. Regular-season champion William Byron spoke about the competitive landscape, stating,
“No one’s running away with this thing, which is going to create a really crazy playoffs,”
—William Byron, NASCAR Cup Series Driver
Hamlin and Larson Emerge as 2025 Title Favorites
When analyzing the favorites for next season, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson appear at the forefront, each with +400 odds to win the 2025 Cup Series title per BetOnline Sportsbook. Their prominent positions reflect both recent performances and expectations from fans and analysts alike.
This ongoing battle among leading drivers, including Hamlin, Larson, Tyler Reddick, and others, has elevated interest and speculation regarding the championship’s outcome and the strategies they will employ as playoffs progress.
NASCAR Announces Notable Schedule Changes for 2026
NASCAR Cup Series officials have unveiled significant adjustments for the 2026 schedule, introducing a street-course race at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado, moving the Championship 4 race to Homestead-Miami Speedway, and launching a new In-Season Challenge. North Wilkesboro Speedway is set to host its first points event since 1996, while Dover Motor Speedway becomes the destination for All-Star weekend. Explaining the extensive planning and collaboration that shaped these decisions, NASCAR Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy remarked:
“Obviously, a lot of collaboration, a lot of time, a lot of energy that went into it, and it’s just a good blend like we’ve had over the past few years of innovation and tradition, of being able to celebrate our history and our roots and where we come from, but then also having these bold new moves that we’re introducing to the schedule,”
—Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer
Looking Ahead to the 2025 Championship Chase
The drama intensifies with the top contenders, including Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Alex Bowman, all preparing for the upcoming battles that will define the 2025 championship narrative. With fresh schedule innovations on the horizon and a crowded playoff field, attention remains fixed on the unpredictable outcomes that make NASCAR’s postseason a highly anticipated spectacle for drivers, teams, and fans alike.
