2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Expert Analysis

The NASCAR Cup Series is now in the homestretch, with the playoffs set to be cut from 16 drivers to 12 after the race at Bristol this coming weekend. Including the race this weekend, there are 8 more to come before we see a champion crowned. At this stage of the game, it would appear to be a 3-horse race for that championship, but stranger things have happened and a strong run of performances over these final few weeks might just catapult someone into contention. Let’s take a closer look at some of the favorites to win it all this season, along with their NASCAR odds.

Predictions to win Championship | 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Kevin Harvick (+160)

For the chasing pack, the hope is that the leader in the driver standings will somehow begin to start slipping up in the final few weeks. That is not happening with Kevin Harvick, though, as he is setting a torrid pace at the top of the driver standings. Any thought that he might ease up when the playoffs began was instantly washed away when he won the opening race in the Round of 16. He followed that up with a 7^th place finish last week, which is no real surprise when you consider that he has landed in the top 10 in 23 of 28 races this season. If he maintains that pace, he wins it all this year.

Denny Hamlin (+300)

Heading into the playoffs, Hamlin looked like the driver most likely to run Harvick down in the chase for the championship, but he has gone cold at the wrong time. Through the first 2 races of the playoffs, Hamlin has yet to crack the top 10, which is simply not going to get the job done. This is a guy that has been in the top 5 in 15 different races this season, so seeing him fall off like this over the last couple of weeks is more than a little surprising. He needs a good showing this weekend.

Brad Keselowski (+600)

If I was going to take a shot at someone making a serious run over the next 8 races, my money might well be on Keselowski. He has 4 wins on the season, but one of them came in the playoffs, as he took the checkered flag at Richmond last weekend. He is going to have a tough time catching Harvick at the top, but if Keselowski can grab another win over the weekend, things might begin to get very interesting indeed.

Martin Truex Jr. (+650)

We are now beginning to drift into the longshot category, although Truex Jr. is still close enough to the lead to qualify as more of a dark horse. The issue that he has is that he only has a single win this season through 28 races. If anyone is going to catch Harvick, they need to start picking up wins in the final weeks of the season. I would suggest, though, that Truex Jr. has a real shot at still hanging around when we get down to the final four, but again, he needs to start taking checkered flags.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?