NASCAR bettors were ticked after last week’s end at Phoenix. Who could blame them? They were probably more heartbroken over Denny Hamlin than anything else. Fortunately, hope springs eternal as the 2026 NASCAR Championship Bets are here. The 2026 season is still three months away when the drivers start their engines for the Daytona 500.
VegasBetting delivers more gas for those NASCAR online betting odds. It has already begun as we comb through some of the 2026 NASCAR Championship Bets. The numbers early on are based a lot on what happened in 2024 and 2025. No one should be too surprised by that honestly. Here is the table below.
| NASCAR 2026 Title Numbers |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +500 | +450 | +475 |
| Denny Hamlin | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| William Byron | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Christopher Bell | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +600 | +600 | +650 |
| Chase Elliott | +1000 | +900 | +950 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Connor Zilisch | +1000 | +1000 | +1200 |
| Joey Logano | +1600 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1600 | +1600 | +1800 |
| Ross Chastain | +2500 | +2500 | +2800 |
| Bubba Wallace | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
Yes, NASCAR will be a little bit different in 2026. Honestly, the season not ending in Phoenix may be a good thing. Phoenix will have a spot in the playoffs and that will be in the Round of 8. 2026 will feature 36 races with 31 oval races, four road courses, and one street race (in San Diego). Out of the 31 ovals, there are short-track, intermediates, and superspeedways.
Therefore, when it comes to 2026 NASCAR Championship Bets, remember that there will be fewer road courses plus some newer drivers coming into the mix. One who might make a big splash is Connor Zilisch. Zililsch has been nothing short of amazing in the Xfinity Series. It was time for him to take the next step. Going up to the top series was inevitable once he started winning races in bunches.
At one point, the 19 year old ran off 18 straight Top 5 finishes which was impressive at the Xfinity level for someone so young. Overall, he led the series with 10 wins. Ultimately, Zilisch finished second in the playoff to Jessie Love. However, the talent of Zilisch would not be denied. Most knew he was moving up to Trackhouse Racing for 2026. The irony is who he will be racing with.
For Vegas Betting, the number may be high-risk at +1000. However, one has to consider a flier on a driver who even took Shane Van Gisbergen to task on his “bread and butter”. Also, Zilisch won that race by the way. Expect a few battles between those two on the early road courses. Zilisch I believe will make the playoff so check when that prop bet pops up.
So, we zoom up to list the top two favorites for next season. Now, there will be many debates until the end of eternity on the most ill-timed caution of 2025. 2026 NASCAR Championship Bets believe Kyle Larson should thank his lucky stars for that yellow flag. If not for that, Denny Hamlin likely finally gets that elusive NASCAR Championship. The Phoenix race was his going away until it was not.
It is always fun to cover NASCAR and this may be the last full time year for Hamlin as a driver. Some say otherwise but how long does he go chasing the title? Think of how many tries it took Dale Earnhardt to win the Daytona 500 (20). There was not a dry eye in the stands that way when he finally crossed the checkered line in first place.
Alright, fewer road courses and the idea of Homestead deciding things seems to further favor Larson but it may be Hamlin. Hamlin has run out front at Homestead and nearly won the Fall of 2024 race. If the #11 runs the second half of 2024 the same in 2025, we may finally see Hamlin get that title.
Some question why Hamlin is not the favorite here. It is frankly because Larson won it in 2025. If one looks at the stats and tracks, this may be Joe Gibbs’ best shot at winning the title. Yes, that is even better than Christopher Bell. Hamlin is going to be beyond motivated in more ways than one.
Okay, NASCAR Championship Bets crave some longer shots. Does someone take that next step? Look at Chase Briscoe and how his 2025 season started. He almost pulled off a title in spite of everything. Think of what it takes to get into the Championship Four. It’s not easy. Briscoe, along with Zilisch, is currently right around +1000. He will not be sneaking up on anyone.
It remains amazing that Bubba Wallace is +3000. One of these seasons he is going to put it all together. So many races saw Wallace up front only to be victim of some unfortunate incident. Lady Luck has been a cruel mistress for the 23XI Racing driver. One could count at least 6-8 races where the No. 23 car could have won. Wallace has improved in all racing disciplines – even on road courses.
Could we even be looking at drivers like Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher? Absolutely. Both are off the main board err upper echelon. However, both are listed now at +4000. Gibbs has shown flashes of potential while Buescher finished seventh in 2023 but just missed out on the playoffs the past two seasons. Gibbs and Buescher could be ones to watch in 2026.
Hamlin is our choice to take that 2026 NASCAR Championship bets.
With prime betting site bonuses and lots of Vegas online betting sites expect to be ready to place those wagers. Good luck and it’s never too early to look ahead to 2026.
