NASCAR: New championship favorite emerges before Pocono

Following Monday’s rain-postponed race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, there is a new favorite to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson has been the betting favorite to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship for quite some time.

While the 2021 champion hasn’t necessarily been the most dominant driver this year and is quite a bit lower than he would ideally like to be in the point standings, the amount of time that he has spent at the front — and the number of times he has lost potential wins due to situations out of his control — certainly justified his status as the favorite to win a second title.

But following Monday’s rain-postponed Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, that status is one which no longer belongs to Larson.

There is a new favorite to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship, and that is Martin Truex Jr.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver dominated Monday’s race, sweeping the first two stages and taking the checkered flag at the four-turn, 1.058-mile (1.703-kilometer) Loudon, New Hampshire oval for the first time in his career.

After failing to finish higher than fourth place in a single race last year, the 2017 champion has now won three of the 10 most recent races and finds himself atop the point standings. Prior to a couple weeks ago, he hadn’t led the standings since 2019.

FanDuel Sportsbook, which is now offering fans an instant $100 just for betting $5, lists Truex as the +550 favorite to win this year’s title, with former favorite Larson having dropped to second in the odds at +600.

Odds and availability are always subject to change. Lock in your $100 now!

The 21st race on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season schedule is this Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400, which is set to be broadcast live on USA Network from Pocono Raceway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and be sure not to miss it!