NASCAR DFS 2025 Phoenix Championship Race Picks: Best Drivers, Sleepers, and Winning Strategy

The NASCAR Cup Series circuit heads to the Phoenix Raceway this Sunday for the 2025 season finale. In 312 laps around the 1.0-mile track, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, and Kyle Larson will battle to see who becomes the 2025 Cup Series champion. The highest finisher among the Championship 4 will claim the title.

Ahead of the final race of the season, there's some things sports bettors will want to know for their daily fantasy sports (DFS) lineup. There's two ways to bet on who will win the Cup Series title, with one being picking the driver to outright win the race, or bet them to be the champion, which would mean they need to finish ahead of the other Championship 4 drivers.

According to DraftKings Sportsbooks, as of Wednesday evening EST, Denny Hamlin is the favorite to win the 2025 championship (+200) and the race (+400). The driver of the #11 finished runner-up to Christopher Bell at Phoenix earlier this year and is seeking his first Cup title amid his 21st full-time season. With a series-high six wins in 2025, it makes sense why the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the favorite.

Kyle Larson has the second-best odds to win the championship (+250) and the race (+500). The driver of the #5 has one victory at Phoenix, which came in the 2021 season finale, and doing so earned him his first Cup championship. Larson has three wins in 2025, but the latest came back in May at Kansas. The California native is seeking his second Cup title on Sunday.

William Byron has the next-best odds to win the title (+275) and the race (+550). The driver of the #24 last won at Phoenix in the spring of 2023 and is coming off a dominant Martinsville win to clinch a Championship 4 spot. This is the Hendrick Motorsports third straight title race appearance as he aims for his first Cup title.

Making his first Championship 4 appearance is Chase Briscoe, who sits at +370 to win the title and +700 to win the race. The driver of the #19 has three victories in 2025 amid his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Seeking his first Cup title, Briscoe won his first Cup race at Phoenix back in the spring of 2022.

Since a non-Championship 4 driver has only won the season finale race once (Ross Chastain, 2023), essentially the rest of the field is sleepers this Sunday. Ryan Blaney has finished top two in the last three Phoenix title races and sits at +650 to win. Christopher Bell, meanwhile, won the Phoenix spring race earlier this year and sits at +850 to win. Either of those could be solid sleeper picks to upset the championship drivers on Sunday.

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix start?

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Championship - Source: Imagn

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion will be decided in Sunday's 312-lap race at the Phoenix Raceway. Kyle Larson will be going for his second Cup Series title, while Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and William Byron will all be searching for their first Cup championship.

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race from Phoenix, Arizona will get underway at 3 p.m. EST. The race can be watched on NBC or listened to on the Motor Racing Network.

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Edited by John Breeden