NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race Predictions, Picks, Odds

• Austin Cindric looks to win a second straight NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
• AJ Allmendinger promises a huge celebration if he wins his first NASCAR title.
• After huge win at Martinsville, Noah Gragson exudes confidence for title race.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook

Play Fantasy Sports Here!

In Saturday’s Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will crown its 2021 champion.

The highest finisher among the Championship 4 drivers—reigning champion Austin Cindric, regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric—will claim the title in NASCAR’s Triple-A division.

Saturday’s event will be contested over 200 laps (200 miles), with stage breaks scheduled after 45 and 90 laps. Austin Cindric has won the last two races at Phoenix, including the 2020 championship event and the spring race this year.

Team Penske Driver Austin Cindric Is Favored to Win Back-to-Back Titles

NASCAR Xfinity Series championships tend to come in pairs, and that’s good news for defending champion Austin Cindric.

In the last 25 years, Randy LaJoie, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tyler Reddick all have won consecutive championships. Cindric would be happy to be next on the list.

“It sounds great to me,” Cindric said of the prospect of a second championship. “It absolutely sounds great. So I’ll take it if you’re handing it out, but otherwise I’ve got to go get it.”

We think Cindric will do just that. Not only has he won the last two Xfinity races at Phoenix, but he also was fastest among the four championship contenders in Friday’s practice and second fastest overall.

Cindric is +350 to win Saturday’s race and +225 to win the series championship, both via DraftKings Sportsbook. Place your bets on both propositions.

AJ Allmendinger Promises a Major-League Party if He Wins Xfinity Title

AJ Allmendinger, who will turn 40 on Dec. 16, has been trying to win a NASCAR championship for 15 years.

If he does so on Saturday, Allmendinger promises a party to remember with Kaulig Racing owner Matt Kaulig and team president Chris Rice.

“I’d love to win it, and, hell, the celebration if we win it may be better than anybody’s you’ve ever seen,” Allmendinger said.

“Between myself and the whole team, but between me, Chris and Matt—you may never hear from us again.”

Unfortunately, we don’t think Allmendinger will be popping the bubbly in Victory Lane. He was the slowest of the four Playoff cars in practice, and his best finish in three Xfinity starts at Phoenix is fifth this past spring.

Those are numbers that aren’t likely to scare Austin Cindric. We think it’s wise to avoid Allmendinger at +275 to win the title and +450 to win the race, both via DraftKings.

Noah Gragson Exudes Confidence Entering Title Race at Phoenix

Noah Gragson had one shot at qualifying for the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. He had to win last Saturday at Martinsville to make the cut.

Defying the odds, Gragson did just that, and he comes to Phoenix with a bushy Playoff beard and burgeoning confidence to go with it.

Gragson was runner-up in last year’s Playoff race, and he’s dangerous when he gets on a roll. Though we don’t like him for the championship or the race win, he’s worth a shot at +120 (DraftKings) to finish in the top three.

The one wild card in Saturday’s race is John Hunter Nemechek, who was fastest in practice. Nemechek is hoping to deliver an ownership title in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, which has been shared by multiple drivers this year, including Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

Nemechek is posted at +380 (DraftKings). If you don’t like any of the four drivers’ championship contenders, bet on him.

Play Fantasy Sports Here!

How to Watch Xfinity Series Championship