Playoff Predictions: Our Picks for the Postseason

It’s that time of the year again.

After the 16 driver field for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs was set last weekend at Richmond, the intensity of the season is about to ramp up over the final 10 weeks of the season as we’ll whittle the championship field down to four at Homestead to see which driver will walk away with the title at season’s end.

As a refresher, there will be three rounds of eliminations before the Championship Four is set.

The Round of 16 will include races at Chicago, New Hampshire, and Dover before the first four drivers are eliminated. The 12 remaining drivers will go on to Charlotte, Talladega, and Kansas before another four drivers are eliminated. The third round of eliminations at Martinsville, Texas, and Phoenix will then slash the remaining eight drivers down to the final four to race for it all at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Since moving to the eliminations format in 2014, the playoffs have become as unpredictable as ever, but the NASCAR team here at Motorsports Tribune has some predictions on how things will shake out by the time the checkered flag flies at the season’s end in November.

David Morgan, NASCAR Editor

Round of 16

Advancing: Martin Truex, Jr., Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Matt Kenseth

Eliminated: Kasey Kahne, Austin Dillon, Jamie McMurray, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr

Round of 12

Advancing: Truex, Jr., Larson, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Harvick, Hamlin, Keselowski, and Blaney

Eliminated: Elliott, Newman, Kurt Busch, and Kenseth

Round of Eight

Advancing to Homestead: Truex, Jr., Larson, Kyle Busch, and Harvick

Eliminated: Johnson, Hamlin, Keselowski, and Blaney

Championship Four

Champion: Martin Truex, Jr. – No. 78 Toyota – Furniture Row Racing

Seth Eggert, NASCAR Contributor

Round of 16

Advancing: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, and Matt Kenseth

Eliminated: Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray

Round of 12

Advancing: Truex Jr., Larson, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Harvick, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Keselowski

Eliminated: Kahne, Kenseth, Blaney, Elliott

Round of Eight

Advancing to Homestead: Truex Jr., Larson, Kyle Busch, and Johnson

Eliminated: Keselowski, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Harvick

Championship Four

Champion: Kyle Larson – No. 42 Chevrolet – Chip Ganassi Racing