Defending Cup Collection champion Ryan Blaney doesn’t discover himself atop the checklist of favorites to win the 2024 title.
Blaney received final yr’s Cup Collection title after he completed in second within the winner-take-all season finale at Phoenix. Blaney beat Kyle Larson and William Byron to the end line — Christopher Bell had a brake failure early within the race — as he turned the primary driver to win a Cup Collection title with out profitable the final race since NASCAR went to its winner-take-all season finale playoff format in 2014.
The 2023 season wasn’t Blaney’s greatest statistical efficiency. He tied a career-high with three wins however had simply eight top-five finishes and 18 prime 10s. His common end of 14.1 was worse than his common end in every of the previous 4 seasons.
However Blaney was nice when it mattered probably the most. He received two playoff races and completed within the prime six in 5 of the ultimate six races whereas ending twelfth within the different.
This season, Blaney finds himself behind 5 drivers amongst BetMGM’s title odds and that group of 5 consists of each Larson and Byron. Right here’s a have a look at how the percentages stack up forward of Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500.
The contenders
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Kyle Larson (+525)
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William Byron (+625)
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Denny Hamlin (+800)
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Chase Elliott (+800)
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Martin Truex Jr. (+900)
It’s not laborious to elucidate how Larson is the preseason favourite. The 2021 Cup Collection champion received 4 races in 2022 and has been the quickest driver within the Cup Collection over the previous three seasons. It’ll be a shock if Larson isn’t racing for the championship for the third time in 4 seasons.
Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Byron led the Cup Collection with six wins in 2023 and had 21 top-10 finishes. He was the one driver to complete within the prime 10 greater than 19 occasions. He and Larson have been the one drivers to steer over 1,000 laps in 2023.
Hamlin remains to be on the lookout for his first Cup Collection title as he appears to be like to shed the label of probably the most completed Cup Collection driver ever with out a title. He ought to be within the thick of the playoff combine as soon as once more.
Elliott is on the lookout for a bounce again season after lacking seven races due to a damaged leg. Elliott might have made the playoffs regardless of that prolonged absence, however he by no means bought a win to earn a playoff spot. Elliott had simply seven top-five finishes a season in the past.
Truex can also be hoping for a rebound after the way in which his season cratered within the playoffs. He scored probably the most factors of any driver in the course of the common season however completed seventeenth or worse in every of the primary 5 playoff races. After 15 top-10 finishes within the first 26 races, Truex had simply two over the ultimate 10 races of the season.
The second tier
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Ryan Blaney (+1100)
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Christopher Bell (+1100)
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Joey Logano (+1100)
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Kyle Busch (+1400)
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Brad Keselowski (+1400)
Blaney has the identical odds as Bell and his Crew Penske teammate Logano. Bell was tied for second with 19 prime 10s in 2023 and ended up because the second-fastest Joe Gibbs Racing driver by the top of the season. Logano, the 2022 Cup Collection champion, received simply as soon as in 2023 and led solely 308 laps.
Busch’s first season at Richard Childress Racing began strongly and ended poorly. Busch received 3 times within the first 15 races however by no means actually rebounded after a summer time hunch. Keselowski was eighth within the standings in 2023 after a poor first season at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. He enters 2024 on a two-year winless streak that spans 98 races.
Darkish horses?
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Tyler Reddick (+1600)
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Ross Chastain (+1600)
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Chris Buescher (+2000)
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Ty Gibbs (+2500)
Reddick was sixth in 2023 and had a boom-or-bust season. He had 10 top-five finishes … and 9 finishes exterior the highest 25. Some consistency might go a great distance. Chastain was the motive force who beat Blaney to the end line in Phoenix a yr in the past and has received twice in every of his first two seasons with Trackhouse Racing.
Buescher ripped off three wins in August to make the playoffs in a scorching streak that magnified simply how constant he was all season lengthy. Byron (11.0) was the one driver with a end higher than Buescher’s 12.1 over the course of the season.
Gibbs enters his second yr within the Cup Collection and scored all 4 of his top-five finishes within the ultimate 16 races. He might make an enormous leap in 2024.
Lengthy pictures
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Alex Bowman (+3500)
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Bubba Wallace (+4000)
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Josh Berry (+6000)
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Daniel Suarez (+8000)
Bowman missed three races in 2023 due to a again harm. And, like Elliott, he additionally struggled to match the velocity of his teammates Larson and Byron. Bowman had simply 4 prime fives and 10 top-10 finishes.
Wallace was winless in 2023 after getting a win in every of the earlier two seasons. However he made the playoffs for the primary time and completed tenth. Can he get to the third spherical of the playoffs in 2024?
Berry is in his first full Cup Collection season and locations Kevin Harvick within the No. 4 automobile at Stewart-Haas Racing. Until SHR has upped its sport considerably from 2023, Berry received’t be a title menace.
Suarez made the playoffs in 2022 with a win at Sonoma however posted simply three prime fives in 2023 and completed nineteenth within the standings.
Everybody else
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Chase Briscoe (+10000)
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Noah Gragson (+10000)
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John Hunter Nemechek (+12500)
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Erik Jones (+12500)
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Michael McDowell (+20000)
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+20000)
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Austin Dillon (+20000)
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Austin Cindric (+20000)
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Ryan Preece (+20000)
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Daniel Hemric (+25000)
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Carson Hocevar (+25000)
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Zane Smith (+25000)
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Justin Haley (+30000)
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Harrison Burton (+50000)
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Corey LaJoie (+50000)
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Todd Gilliland (+50000)
