Detailed view of the NASCAR Cup Series Champion patch on the uniform of Kyle Larson during Championship Four media day at Phoenix Raceway on Oct. 20, 2025.

The finish line to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series is in sight. This season is down to four drivers, two teams and one last race to determine a champion. The NASCAR Championship race was designed to provide more drama to the end-of-year playoffs, and there could be plenty Sunday, Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona.

William Byron, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe will compete for the Bill France Trophy, with Byron and Larson racing for Hendrick Motorsports and Hamlin and Briscoe representing Joe Gibbs Racing. The four drivers will race against one another for the title, as well as a full field of cars in the actual race, and there isn't much separating them in the eyes of oddsmakers.

Larson is the only driver among the four championship qualifiers to have won the Cup Series before. Byron, who won the Xfinity 500 last week at Martinsville, is attempting to become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2013 to win the Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup Series in the same year. Hamlin, 44, has the most wins this year. Briscoe has the most pole positions and top-five finishes.

Here's a breakdown of the odds heading into the 2025 NASCAR Championship race, as well as expert predictions and how to watch Sunday's Cup Series finale:

NASCAR Championship race odds

BetMGM odds as of 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Oc.t 31

  • Denny Hamlin (+350)
  • Kyle Larson (+425)
  • William Byron (+475)
  • Ryan Blaney (+600)
  • Chase Briscoe (+650)
  • Christopher Bell (+800)
  • Joey Logano (+1200)
  • Chase Elliott (+1800)
  • Tyler Reddick (+2200)
  • Ross Chastain (+2200)

NASCAR Championship race predictions

Ellen J. Horrow, USA TODAY Sports: Kyle Larson

"Kyle Larson is one of the best wheelmen in all of motor sports and knows what it takes to race for a championship. Crew chief Cliff Daniels knows how to set up a championship-winning car and the experience to make the right in-race calls and adjustments in the big moments. The two also have the least amount of pressure compared to the other three contenders, having already won the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway. All of that will work to their advantage Sunday to give Larson (and Daniels) a second title."

Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY Sports: Denny Hamlin

"Only nine people in the history of the Cup Series have more victories than Denny Hamlin. Yet all nine have captured an elusive Cup Series championship. For years, Hamlin's seemed destined to be NASCAR's Dan Marino: an all-time great who couldn't reach his sport's ultimate prize. Not this weekend. He finished second in Phoenix in the spring and won from the pole at Gateway. Phoenix is one of his better tracks on the calendar with 17 top-five finishes in 40 races there. It's well past time for Hamlin to get the monkey off his back. If this doesn't make you romantic about racing, I don't know what would."

2014 NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick: Denny Hamlin or William Byron

"Denny Hamlin has been the guy that's consistently been, had a chance to be the dominant car," Harvick said this week on his “Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour” podcast. “William Byron was the dominant car (last weekend at Martinsville) and has the momentum leading into the championship race, and I just don't think you can undervalue that from a momentum standpoint. I think any of the four can win but the 24 (Byron) and 11 (Hamlin) is where I’m leaning at this point."

Logan Reardon, NBCUniversal: Denny Hamlin

"The winning pick for Phoenix is Hamlin. He's had extra time to prepare for Phoenix thanks to his earlier win at Las Vegas. He's been through the heartbreak year after year. He knows this could be his last chance, and he'll finally make the most of it to cap off a storybook season."

Jim Sannes, FanDuel: William Byron

"Byron was the dominant car last week, leading 304 laps and ending Blaney's run of dominance at Martinsville. He has been fast on flatter tracks all year long with a win in Iowa plus top-fives in New Hampshire and Nashville. He also led 83 laps in the spring race at Phoenix.

“This team had a lull over the summer, but they've had tons of dominant races this year, many of which didn't result in wins. It shows that they've got gobs of upside, though, and they'll need that to win here. I'm willing to bank on Byron doing it again."

Watch NASCAR Championship race with Fubo

NASCAR Championship TV schedule, start time at Phoenix Raceway

The NASCAR Championship race will be broadcast nationally on NBC and can be live streamed via Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo.

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Location: Phoenix Raceway (1-mile oval) in Avondale, Arizona
  • Length: 312 laps, 312 miles
  • TV: NBC
  • Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max, Fubo, Sling

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR Championship race predictions, picks and odds for Sunday

Reporting by Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect