Christopher Bell has come up huge when necessary thus far in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and he'll look to do so one last time as he is one of the four drivers competing for the title in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. Bell needed a victory in the final race of both the Round of 12 and Round of 8 to stay in contention for the championship and came through each time, capturing the checkered flags at Charlotte and Martinsville. The 27-year-old won only once in his first 31 starts this season.
Bell is listed at +325, while 2020 series champion Chase Elliott is the +240 favorite in the latest 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Joey Logano, who won the title in 2018, is +375 and Ross Chastain, the fourth and final driver in contention for the crown, is +400. Kyle Larson, who won the championship last year, rounds out the top 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship contenders at +1100. You'll want to check out the NASCAR at Phoenix predictions from Micah Roberts, the legendary Vegas bookmaker who pioneered wagering on racing, before locking in any 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship picks of your own.
Roberts, a former Vegas bookmaker, was the first to offer expanded NASCAR betting, and now hands out NASCAR winners to his followers on SportsLine. Roberts is the nation's premier NASCAR betting expert, and his top pick, Elliott, won the YellaWood 500 last month at 12-1 odds.
He also correctly predicted Elliott to win the Jockey Made in America 250 last season, nailed the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 winner by hitting Kyle Larson's victory at 11-2 odds and was on point by targeting Elliott as the winner of the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at 8-5 odds the previous week. In addition, Roberts nailed last year's GEICO 500 when he predicted Brad Keselowski to win at 14-1 odds. Anyone who has followed his picks has cashed tickets.
Now, Roberts has analyzed the field and odds for Sunday's NASCAR at Phoenix 2022 race. He's only sharing his winner and leaderboard at SportsLine.
2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship expert picks
One shocker: Roberts is low on Denny Hamlin, even though he's one of the top 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship contenders. In fact, Roberts says Hamlin, who has posted 20 top-10 finishes in 34 career Cup Series starts at Phoenix, barely even cracks the top 10.
"Hamlin lost his chance at the Championship 4 in the most insane way possible last week at Martinsville as his four-point lead was erased on the last lap," Roberts told SportsLine. "Hamlin still is without a (Cup Series) title, although the racing gods have given him three Daytona 500 wins."
Another curveball: Roberts is high on William Byron, who is listed at +2200 in the latest NASCAR at Phoenix odds. The 24-year-old from North Carolina has recorded two wins and 10 top-10 finishes this season, with five of those coming in his last nine starts. Byron was seventh at Martinsville last weekend and posted his best finish in nine Cup Series outings at Phoenix last spring, when he finished eighth. He had led for 12 laps on the track this past March, the first time he did so since leading 15 in his first series start there in 2018.
"In nine Cup Series starts at Phoenix, Byron has a 13.8 average finish with four top-10s and 27 laps led," Roberts told SportsLine. "He was 18th there in the spring after winning the first stage." You can see who else to back here.
How to make 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship predictions
Roberts is high on a massive longshot who had a strong showing at Phoenix back in March. This driver is being underestimated by oddsmakers, and anyone who backs him could hit it big. You can only see who it is here.
So who wins the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship? And which long shot stuns NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2022 NASCAR at Phoenix leaderboard from the nation's premier NASCAR handicapper, and find out.
2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship odds, field, top contenders, starting lineup
See full NASCAR Cup Series Championship picks, predictions, best bets here.
Chase Elliott +240
Christopher Bell +325
Joey Logano +375
Ross Chastain +400
Kyle Larson +1100
Denny Hamlin +1700
Ryan Blaney +2000
Kevin Harvick +2000
William Byron +2200
Martin Truex Jr. +3000
Kyle Busch +4000
Tyler Reddick +4000
Chase Briscoe +5000
Bubba Wallace +5000
Aric Almirola +7500
Chris Buescher +8000
Alex Bowman +10000
Austin Cindric +10000
Erik Jones +10000
Brad Keselowski +10000
Daniel Suarez +10000
Austin Dillon +15000
Ty Gibbs +20000
Cole Custer +25000
A.J. Allmendinger +30000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +50000
Justin Haley +75000
Michael McDowell +75000
Harrison Burton +100000
Ty Dillon +250000
Todd Gilliland +250000
Landon Cassill +500000
Corey LaJoie +500000
B.J. McLeod +500000
Garrett Smithley +500000
Cody Ware +500000
