The introduction of the Next Gen car into NASCAR last season created one of the most unpredictable campaigns in recent history. A whopping 19 different drivers won races in 2022. After that type of chaos, you might need help picking a 2023 NASCAR Cup Series winners. If you keep reading, you’ll get our three most valuable picks to win the title — advice you don’t want to miss out on.
The 2023 NASCAR season kicks into high gear with the exhibition race Clash at the Coliseum on February 5. After that, it’s off to Daytona for the traditional start of the Cup Series. The iconic Daytona 500 event is slotted for February 19. With the season so close, top betting sites for sports have released 2023 Cup Series futures odds. As it stands, these drivers are the biggest favorites to win the title:
| Driver |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Elliott | +600 | +600 |
| Kyle Larson | +600 | +600 |
| Denny Hamlin | +800 | +800 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | +1000 |
| William Byron | +1000 | +1000 |
| Joey Logano | +1000 | +1000 |
| Ross Chastain | +1200 | +1200 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1200 | +1200 |
| Christopher Bell | +1200 | +1200 |
Best Bets To Win 2023 NASCAR Cup Series
Joey Logano is the reigning Cup Series champion, but he'll have a mountain of competition to go back to back (it hasn't been done since Jimmy Johnson won five in a row from 2006 to 2010). Us, personally, we're "hedging our bets" and picking three different drivers to win the 2023 Cup Series. After the unpredictability of last season, it only makes sense to bet on multiple drivers. Here's who we're backing:
Kyle Larson
Larson had a historically-dominant 2021 season that included 10 wins and a Cup Series championship. While 2022 ended in a Round of 12 exit, we’re still of the belief Larson is as good as it gets on the circuit.
When there’s a fire underneath Larson, he’s a different animal. It seems like that fire is back this season. What else explains Larson’s plan to pull off “The Double” on Memorial Day weekend — driving the Indy 500 AND Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Only four drivers have ever done so but Larson is itching to be No. 5 by 2024. That ambition gives us a lot of betting confidence to take Larson here.
Ryan Blaney
Blaney was win-less in 2022. Yes, you read that correctly. However, Blaney was constantly in the mix, hovering around the top-5 in Cup Series points before finishing eighth overall. The talent is there for Blaney, but admiteddly, he needs to develop a "killer instinct" to finally claim a Cup Series. He's advanaced to the Round of 8 on two occasions, but unless you can win those playoff races, it's tough to break through.
Therefore, this Blaney choice hinges on Blaney finding a way to get into the winner's circle more than he's historically done. "Close but no cigar" won't do it — not in the playoffs that puts such a high premium on wins.
AJ Allmendinger
Alright, this is our longshot bet of the three. More longshot because oddsmaker aren’t giving Allmendinger much hope at a whopping +12500 odds. However, that’s where we see value because Allmendinger has flashed multiple times when we’ve seen him in the Cup Series.
This will be Allmendinger's first full-time season in the Cup Series, as hell compete under Kaulig Racing. He comes after two years on the Xfinity Series circuit where he claimed an impressive 10 victories, along with 35 top 5's and 50 top 10's. The question is, how much of that success carries over in the more competitive Cup Series? Also, how quickly does that success come in year one while Allmendinger is still figuring out the “lay of the land?”
We’re optimistic that Allmendinger’s adjustment curve will be short. That’s because he has had 23 Cup starts in the past two years. In those events, he’s fared quite well with one victory (the 2021 Indy Road Course), along with 5 top 5's and 11 top 10's. Given those results, is Allmendinger really deserving of a +12500 line? No way. Throw a few dollars on him, at these odds, you don’t need much to make a killing if Allmendinger surprises the field like we expect him to.
How To Watch 2023 NASCAR Season
From February to November, you’ll have a NASCAR race every weekend to bet on. It’s a fast-and-furious schedule as always, however, we wanted to highlight a few races to watch out for in the 2023 schedule. Here are a few of the bigger events:
- February 19 — Daytona 500
- April 23 — Geico 500 at Talladega
- May 21 — All-Star Race
- May 28 — Coca-Cola 600
- September 3 — Southern 500 (playoffs begin)
- November 4 — Championship 4 (playoffs finale)
NASCAR’s TV partners this season will be the usual FOX and NBC. Moreover, races will be broadcast on those networks’ “sister” channels like FS1 and USA Network.
How To Bet On NASCAR In 2023?
With 30 or so races, you’ll have ample NASCAR betting opportunities in 2023. For a one-stop shop for betting on them, visit one of the featured sportsbooks on the table. All sites you see here earned their placement due to getting high marks in our latest sportsbook reviews. So your money is in good hands no matter which you use to bet on NASCAR.
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