2015 Sprint Cup Series Odds and Predictions: Sprint Cup Championship Favorites and Contenders

2015 Sprint Cup Series Odds and Predictions: Sprint Cup Championship Favorites and Contenders: The start of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season is just a couple of weeks away. Last year, Kevin Harvick became the first-ever winner of the elimination playoff format, outlasting the other 15 Chase drivers and eventually besting Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano in the season finale. The format will remain the same in 2015, and while the new elimination format makes winning the championship more difficult than ever, there are still certain drivers that have an edge when it comes to surviving the grueling format. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top contender for the 2015 Sprint Cup title.

The Favorites

He had an off year by his typical standards, but an off year for Jimmie Johnson still included four victories. He also ranked in the top five in a majority of the advanced statistics, including laps led, fastest laps run and driver rating. In other words, Johnson was still one of the five-best drivers in one of his worst seasons. The six-time champ is still the safest bet to contend for a title heading into 2015.

His first year with Stewart-Haas Racing ended with Kevin Harvick celebrating a Sprint Cup title, and back-to-back championships certainly aren’t out of the question. After all, Harvick’s title was the fourth time in the last five seasons that he has finished in the top three in the final standings. Not to mention the fact that he finished 2014 ranked second in top-five finishes and wins, and no driver led more laps.

After enduring a bit of a hangover following his 2012 title, Brad Keselowski left little doubt in 2014 that he is one of the best in the series. He led all drivers with six wins and 17 top-five finishes last year, and he ranked fourth or better in just about every advanced stat, including laps led, average running positions and average green flag speed. The guy is the total package.

Other Contenders

If not for a couple of bad breaks, Jeff Gordon may have won the championship a year ago. Instead, he had to settle for being the most consistent driver in the series. His 10.4 average finish was the best in the series, and he also led all drivers with 23 top-10s. Gordon wasn’t just stringing together solid runs either. He won four races, and his 14 top-five finishes ranked third in the series. To top it off, Gordon announced  that 2015 will be his final season so he will have plenty of motivation to end his incredible year on a high note.

He was NASCAR’s equivalent of a first-round bust in other sports, but after failing to live up to the hype in his first four years, Joey Logano has blossomed since joining Team Penske in 2012. Last year was by far the best of his career, and his five wins, 16 top-five finishes and 11.3 average finish all ranked second in the series. Logano ranked fifth in laps led, and no driver spent more time in the top 15. He was one of the four drivers to compete for the title in last year’s finale, and he could be back in the mix in 2015.

In 2013, Matt Kenseth won a series-high seven races, but last year, he didn’t make a single trip to victory lane. The dramatic drop-off in victories wasn’t ideal, but Kenseth wasn’t exactly a non-factor either. In fact, he finished the year ranked fifth in top-five finishes and third in top-10s, and he also led the sixth-most laps. Kenseth was still as consistent as ever last year, and he is one driver that will have a chance to contend, even if he isn’t piling up wins.

Check out the latest NASCAR betting Odds from BOVADA below: