Odds for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are finally out for enthusiasts to mull over. With less than a month before the actual chase for the championship begins, here are some previews that you can match with the odds for your favorite drivers and teams. Keep in mind, with the alterations to the race car packages, it should be harder than ever to predict the outcomes until we get an idea of what racers are better adapting to these changes.
Here is what Vegas opened with:
ODDS TO WIN 2016 SPRINT CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP (11/26/16)
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kevin Harvick | 5/1 |
| Joey Logano | 6/1 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 7/1 |
| Kyle Busch | 7/1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 8/1 |
| Matt Kenseth | 8/1 |
| Carl Edwards | 12/1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 12/1 |
| Kurt Busch | 12/1 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 15/1 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 18/1 |
| Kasey Kahne | 25/1 |
| Kyle Larson | 30/1 |
| Tony Stewart | 30/1 |
| Chase Elliott | 40/1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 40/1 |
| Jamie McMurray | 40/1 |
| Ryan Blaney | 40/1 |
| Ryan Newman | 40/1 |
| Aric Almirola | 100/1 |
| Austin Dillon | 100/1 |
| Field (Any Other Driver) | 100/1 |
| Greg Biffle | 100/1 |
| Paul Menard | 100/1 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 300/1 |
| Ricky Stenhouse | 300/1 |
| Trevor Bayne | 300/1 |
| Danica Patrick | 500/1 |
Top Ten Drivers:
- Kevin Harvick: The brash and controversial Stewart Haas Racing’s driver tops the Vegas odds list at +500 to win the 2016 Sprint Cup Series. The number one ranking is well deserved. Harvick has been the model of Sprint Cup racing consistency for the last three years. He won the 2013 championship, finished third the next year, and was the runner-up in 2015. Last years performance was impressive. He opened the season with back-to-back runner-ups at Daytona and Atlanta, then went on to win the next two at Las Vegas and Phoenix. He kept the points lead for 24 straight races and finished in the top 10 in 28 of 36 races. With the ability to post a fast car at all the different venues NASCAR offers, I fully expect Harvick to be the front-runner again in 2016.
- Joey Logano: Opening the season with a win at Daytona set the stage for a productive season. Las Vegas has the young phenom at +600 to win it all in 2016. Logano finished the campaign with six victories, including three straight in the Contender Round of the chase. That topped NASCAR legend Jimmy Johnson for most in 2015. Team Penske’s driver averaged a gaudy 9.9 average finish on the year. An altercation with Matt Kenseth cost him a chance to compete for the glory at Homestead in Miami. Repeating at Daytona might be a stretch but I could easily see Logano in the final four in Miami.
- Jimmy Johnson: The six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion may have fell short of the chase in 2015, but he managed to cross the finish line in first on five different occasions. Vegas has Johnson at +700 to win it all in 2016. His 75 NASCAR wins, most among active drivers, is a testament to the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s solidity. Johnson was the only driver to reach the Chase in every season, and has finished outside the top five in points only twice during his 14 year career. Although it may have been a disappointing season, I fully expect the Lowe’s 48 car to be in the final four to end the year.
- Kyle Busch: The 2015 Sprint Cup Champion will be looking to defend his title in 2016. Las Vegas has him at +700 to do just that. Busch rebounded from a debilitating opening race wreck in his Xfinity car, that kept him out for the first 11 races, and brought home the trophy for Joe Gibb’s Racing. Kyle proved with his victory in Kentucky that the new package NASCAR will run in 2016 suits him just fine. He also collected victories in Sonoma, New Hampshire, and the Indianapolis 500. With a healthy start, and possibly the strongest team, expect Busch to be right in the mix again.
- Brad Keselowski: Odds makers have Keselowski at +800 to bring Team Penske their second title together. The beginning of 2015 looked like it was going to be the year for that. During the summer portion of the series, Keselowki racked up 10 straight top 10’s and a victory at Fontana Club Speedway. He made it into the third round of the Chase, but was involved in a controversial wreck involving Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth, eliminating his chance to advance. The 2012 Sprint Cup Champion will look to build on a campaign that saw him finish seventh in points.
- Matt Kenseth: The 2003 Cup Champion will look to put together a stellar season in 2016 after finishing 15th in points last year. Don’t let the 15th place fool you. The Dollar General #20 won five races, collected four poles and had 12 top five’s in last seasons expedition. That’s why Vegas has him at +800. As an elite intermediate and short track performer, leading over 400 laps at these types of venues, Kenseth should embrace the new NASCAR set-ups that favor this kind of racing. As part of the best team in NASCAR, I think Kenseth will make the Chase in 2016.
- Carl Edwards: Odds makers slated Edwards at +1200 to win the Chase in 2016. Edwards, another Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, has won two races every year since 2013. He finished 13th that year then 9th in 2014. His 5th place finish last year saw him make the Eliminator Round only to lose out after a rain shorten race at Phoenix. 2016 might be a great year for Edwards. He has proved he can consistently compete with the front runners and has a solid team behind him.
- Denny Hamlin: Hamlin rounds out the Joe Gibbs Racing team’s stable of talented drivers. He found himself in the final in 2014 and not in 2015, even though he statistically had a better year. Hamlin raced to wins at Martinsville Speedway in late March and Chicago in September. Though not counted in the points scheme, he also drove to victory in the All-Star race in Charlotte. The #11 Fed Ex machine also netted 14 top fives and 20 top 10’s. Giving the +1200 line, this is where I’ll be betting my dark-horse pick in 2016.
- Kurt Busch: The eldest of the Busch brothers was enveloped in drama to start the 2015 campaign. He was pigeon-holed by NASCAR because of domestic violence accusations and was not allowed to compete in the Daytona 500 or the following two races. When NASCAR finally cleared him of wrong doings, he proved to be a great one-two punch for Stewart Haas Racing. Busch tallied wins at Richmond Speedway and Michigan while netting 10 top fives and 21 top 10’s. He finished 8th in points. Having a teammate like Kevin harvick can only help. I predict the #41 Haas Chevrolet will show even more improvement in 2016. Las Vegas has him at a very playable +1200.
- Dale Earnhardt: Rounding out the top 10 is NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Vegas ranks him at +1500 to deliver this season. With his consistent ability to finish strong and collect wins at restrictor-plate races, Daytona in 2014 and Talladega in 2015, Earnhardt should be in the Chase again in 2016. The difference this year could be that Jr. has shown improvement at the intermediate tracks as well as the short tracks. In the last two years, he has victories at the “paperclip” in Martinville and Phoenix. 15-1 is a good price to get a seasoned driver that is on the upswing.
