The Cup Series playoffs continue with a return trip to Kansas Speedway, and odds-makers fully expect one of the championship-eligible drivers to capture the checkered flag at the end of the day.
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According to BetMGM, 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is the favorite to win Sunday's race. He enters the weekend at +350. Denny Hamlin is second at +625 while William Byron is at +700.
The other drivers in the top 10 include Ryan Blaney at +750, Christopher Bell at +900, Tyler Reddick at +1,000, Chase Briscoe at +1,400, Chase Elliott at +1,500, Ross Chastain at +1,800, and Bubba Wallace at +2,200. Three-time Kansas winner Joey Logano enters the weekend in a tie with Wallace at +2,200.
Of these drivers, only Blaney has a secure spot in the Round of 8. He won the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend. All of the drivers in the top 10 of BetMGM's odds are above the playoff cutline except for Chastain, Reddick, and Wallace.
Several of these drivers have celebrated Cup Series wins at Kansas Speedway. Elliott won in 2018 while Chastain celebrated last fall. Wallace won the Kansas playoff race in 2022 while Reddick won the playoff race in 2023. Hamlin has four Kansas wins, including three since 2019.
Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
Larson, for comparison, has three wins at the 1.5-mile track since the 2021 season. He has led 923 laps combined across 10 of his 21 Cup starts at Kansas. This includes 221 laps led this spring after he won the pole.
Along with the wins, Larson has six other top-five finishes at the track. This includes three runner-ups, one of which took place after contact from Hamlin put Larson into the wall on the final lap.
Adding to Larson's success at Kansas is the fact he drives for Hendrick Motorsports. The organization leads all others with 10 wins at the 1.5-mile track. HMS also leads every organization with 49 top-five finishes, 90 top-10s, 2,462 laps led, and 11 stage wins.
Interestingly, Elliott actually leads all active Cup drivers in average finish at Kansas Speedway. The 2020 Cup Series champion has an average finish of 10.4. Larson is second at 12.4.
