The odds for who will stand above the field as the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion have been updated following the Cracker Barrel 400. Ryan Blaney finally got his first win of the season at Nashville Superspeedway, and he’s now locked into the playoffs.
The Team Penske wheelman out-dueled Carson Hocevar and Denny Hamlin to get to Victory Lane. Now, the Firekeepers Casino 400 will be the battlefield, and Tyler Reddick will be a contender. He won there last season.
After all of the action in the Cracker Barrel 400, FanDuel Sportsbook has released its updated betting lines for which driver will stand above all at the end of the year as champion. Here’s where each wheelman stands entering Michigan this coming weekend, following the fun in Tennessee.
Kyle Larson had a rough start in Nashville. Still, he fought throughout the evening and came home with a solid finish in Tennessee, notching a top ten with a P8 finish.
Michigan has been one of Larson’s better tracks in the Cup Series. He’s won at the track three times, but those all came with Chip Ganassi Racing. Perhaps he’ll get to Victory
Another week, another top ten finish for Christopher Bell. He started P7, and brought it home P10 when the checkered flag waved. He’s proving to be one of the more consistent drivers in the entire Cup Series.
Looking ahead, Michigan hasn’t ever been too kind to Bell. Surprisingly, he has zero top tens in six tries. He’s qualified well though, starting within the top three over the past three seasons.
Ryan Blaney finally got his first win of 2025 in Nashville. He’s come close numerous times, and some bad luck has been the reason a couple of times throughout the season, but Victory Lane finally beckoned the former champion in Tennessee.
Perhaps Blaney can win two in a row now. With the Cup Series heading to Michigan, a track he won at in 2021, bet against the idea at your own risk. He’s hot right now.
Denny Hamlin looked to be the car to beat from the get-go in Nashville. It wasn’t meant to be, as Ryan Blaney ran him down, but the Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman still made the podium with a third-place finish.
While Hamlin hasn’t won at Michigan since 2011, he’ll always be among the top choices to get to Victory Lane when the Cup Series heads to this track. He’s finished P11 or better during his last nine trips to the venue.
Speaking of consistent drivers, William Byron notched another top five at Nashville. He started P3 and contended for the win once again throughout the evening, but a fifth-place finish is nothing to scoff at, for sure.
Byron finished as the runner-up at Michigan last season, as well as in 2021. He’s never won at the track, so perhaps he can elevate and get the dub this time around.
A former victor at Nashville, Chase Elliott was looking to get back to Victory Lane in Tennessee. It wasn’t meant to be, as the Hendrick Motorsports star finished P15. Still, a solid evening for the former champion.
Michigan was good to Elliott earlier in his career — he finished P2 three races in a row, but it hasn’t been smooth sailing since then. He still doesn’t have a win in the Cup Series at the venue. We’ll see if 2025 is his year.
It’s been an uneven season for Tyler Reddick in 2025. Nashville was kinder to him than most other tracks have been though, as the 23XI Racing wheelman started P4 and finished P9 in Tennessee.
Prior to last season, Michigan was a struggle for Reddick. Then, he broke the seal with a win. If he can do it again, it’d be coming at the perfect time for the Toyota star.
Joey Logano was looking to win his second race at Nashville in as many years. He couldn’t get the job done, but he did have a better night than he did during the Coca-Cola 600, finishing P4 in Tennessee.
The three-time champion’s last win at Michigan came in 2019. Last season, he finished P33 at the track. Logano will be looking for a better result in 2025 than that, for sure.
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