Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race in Phoenix is a duel between the ascending youth and the grizzled vets.

Corey Heim and Christian Eckes enter as the favorites, but both Grant Enfinger and Ty Majeski have surged down the stretch to earn spots in the championship race. These four drivers have combined to win 14 of 22 races thus far, so it'll be a slugfest.

My model has a heavy lean toward one of the youngsters.

Let's start there, laying out how my model is viewing the race between that group to see who will be champion.

Truck Series Championship Prediction

Heim is generally regarded as the favorite, but my model thinks Eckes is easily the man to beat.

That's for the championship where it's a duel between those four drivers; the race is a different obstacle. There are 31 other trucks entered, and any of them could close out the year with a checkered flag.

Even with the increased competition, I'm still seeing value in Eckes to win in FanDuel Sportsbook's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series betting odds.

Truck Series at Phoenix Best Bets

• Christian Eckes (+300): Eckes led nearly every lap last week at Martinsville -- his second win at that track this year -- and is the defending champion of this race. With additional wins or podiums at Gateway, Nashville, IRP, Richmond, and Milwaukee, Eckes should be the betting favorite for this race. The market's preference for Heim opens up value to consider Eckes.
• Ben Rhodes (+2800): The big counterpoint on Eckes is that a couple of drivers owe him payback after how he raced them last week. One of them is Rhodes, who finished second after Eckes laid the bumper to him late. Rhodes is a two-time champion thanks to how good he is in Phoenix, and with his speed in Martinsville last week, I think there's enough here to justify considering Rhodes even though he's not in championship contention.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You’ll receive $150 in Bonus Bets if your first bet of $5+ wins! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which drivers stand out to you on Friday in Phoenix? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series betting odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.