Daytona 500 Best Bets
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series drops the green flag on their 2021 season with the 63rd running of The Great American Race. That also means the NASCAR wagering season also begins. Each week I will post my “Best Bets” for each race. It all begins this week at the Daytona 500.
Feb 14, 2021 Martin Truex Jr. Is the odds favorite among the Toyota drivers, but make no mistake — the best bet in that camp remains Hamlin, who over the past 10 races at Daytona has collected more points than anyone else. That track record, plus that relative value, equal a no-brainer. 20% Deposit Bonus up to $1000. Feb 09, 2021 NASCAR betting picks for 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Our Daytona 500 race preview and best bets for Sunday, February 14.
Races on the Superspeedway are the toughest to predict but it is getting easier. There are a handful of drivers who have consistently finished upfront at Daytona. These are the drivers we need to be targeting Sunday and there are a few long shots who make a lot of sense to put some money on.
DraftKings Odds for Daytona 500
* The odds could change between the time of this article and the time you place your bet
** The first number is the amount of money based on the second number (the amount of the wager). So if you bet $1 on Denny Hamlin, you will win $7.
Here are my “Best Bets” for the Daytona 500…
Danny Hamlin (7-1): It is no fun to bet the favorite but it is hard to overlook what Hamlin has done at Daytona. He has finished 1st, 1st, 3rd, 17th and 1st in his last five Daytona 500’s. He has also finished 1st, 3rd, 4th, 1st and 3rd in his last Superspeedway races. That is a lot of trips to Victory Lane. 7-1 odds are not too bad for a driver who is clearly the class of the field Sunday.
Ryan Blaney (11-1): Blaney has become the second-best driver on the Superspeedways behind Denny Hamlin. He won races at Talladega in 2020 and in 2019. Blaney has also been knocking on Victory Lane’s door at Daytona. Blaney finished second in the Daytona 500 last year and he finished sixth in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in 2020. Blaney is the 2021 version of Chase Elliott. I expect a big season from Blaney and it could start with a trip to Victory Lane in the Great American Race.
William Byron (14-1): We want to put our money on drivers who know how to get to Victory Lane at Daytona. Byron is one of those drivers. He won the last race at Daytona (Coke Zero 400 last August) and he won his Duel race at Daytona last year. Byron also finished second at Daytona in 2019. Hendrick Motorsports is a team on the rise. They are no stranger to finishing #1, #2 and #3 in the Daytona 500. I am hoping they can do it again with Byron leading the pack across the start/finish line.
Kyle Larson (18-1): This pick is more of a gut feeling than anything else. So what has Larson done since he left NASCAR last year? He won almost every race he entered. I am hoping his win streak continues in the Daytona 500. Larson has an 11th-place average finishing position in his last five Daytona 500’s. He had a good chance to win a couple of those races. Larson will have the best handling car and the best teammates he has ever had at Daytona. I would not be surprised to see Larson win the Daytona 500.
Ryan Newman (40-1): Wow, 40-1 odds for the driver who nearly won the last Daytona 500. Newman finished 9th, 14th and 8th in the current aero package in the Daytona 500. He usually stays in the back-third of the pack until the end of the race. Newman is smart enough to know that the big wrecks tend to occur up front between the drivers battling for the lead. In order to win the race, a driver must finish the race. Newman is very good at finishing the race. A trip to Victory Lane for Newman would be a perfect final chapter to his career at Daytona. * Newman’s teammate Chris Buescher is also a great bet at 50-1 odds.
Long-Shot Special: My Long-Shot Special this week is Michael McDowell (66-1). Which driver has the best average finishing position at Daytona of the last 10 races? It is not Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano or Ryan Blaney… It is McDowell and his 12.5 average finishing position. McDowell finished 5th in the 2019 Daytona 500 and 9th in 2018. I will bet a few bucks on McDowell Sunday and hope he sneaks into Victory Lane.
Good luck this week!
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How do you read the 2021 Daytona 500 odds and turn a profit? But better yet – what is Daytona 500? Put simply, it’s the most important and widely-recognized race by far on the NASCAR circuit. It has the best history, it has all the top drivers, and it has the biggest purse.
Today, we have put together for your reading pleasure the ultimate Daytona 500 betting guide. Our team has gone the full distance, from providing you with an up-to-date list of odds to carefully examining the competition’s recent history. We offer you a chance to get the latest insight and turn them into actionable wagers.
2021 Daytona 500 Betting Odds
Daytona 500 is a challenging race to all motorsports fans, drivers, and especially bettors. Yet, the oddsmakers always make sure to give us a fair estimate. The following table displays an updated list of odd to win Daytona 500:
The race is strategically placed early on the NASCAR Cup Series when drivers still haven’t had enough time to cut their teeth nor fans quite tell which driver is more likely to outrace another.
When and Where Is 2021 Daytona 500 Taking Place?
- Date: Sunday, February 14, 2021
- Time: 2:30pm ET
- Location: Daytona International Speedway, Florida
- Event:The Great American Race
2021 Daytona 500 will take place on February 14, 2021 at 2:30pm ET at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. The event features 32 drivers who come from all backgrounds to lay claim on one of the largest events in the NASCAR circuit. Daytona 500 is the first official race in the circuit which features 36 events in total for 2021.
Where to Watch 2021 Daytona 500?
- TV: FOX
- Radio: MRN
For those who prefer to watch from home, you will be thrilled to know that FOX is streaming the event at 1 PM. Radio coverage will be provided by the Motor Racing Network.
Who Are the Favorites?
Without a single race out yet, analyzing the 2021 NASCAR series is a bit of a mystery, and yet – we do have last year’s results to keep us fairly optimistic about our predictions. The Great American Race is back and with it so are a number of ambitious young and established drivers.
Today we will take a look at some of our personal favorites and see if we can make a bet on Daytona. The odds to win the event are likely to keep changing, but not the track record of the hand-picked favorites who the sportsbooks agree with us are poised to add yet another title to their name.
Joey Logano No. 22 Ford Mustang
Without any doubt, Joey Logano is one of the hottest picks this season and why wouldn’t he be? Team Penske’s driver is in a good shape and he has been at it for over a decade now. Besides, the 2019 season definitely paned out quite alright with two wins in Las Vegas Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. He also managed to finish top-five on five different occasions throughout the season, making him one of the best drivers still in the race.
Brad Keselowski No. 2 Ford
Team Penske will definitely have a strong lineup of drivers in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, and not least of all in Daytona 500. Brad Keselowski may not have won a title in a while, but his performance has always rivaled those of the best. In 2019, he managed to conclude 13 top-five finishes and 19 top-tens. You might call him a bit of a wild card as is, but Keselowski is definitely one of the drivers to watch out for in February. He may yet surprise us all and push to the top.
Denny Hamlin Toyota No. 11
Team Penske won’t be taking the credit for Hamlin. Instead, we have Joe Gibbs Racing to thank for the talent of Hamlin. In fact, Denny is returning with one sole purpose – to defend his Daytona 500 title after winning in 2019. His feat was even more impressive given the fact that it had been his second win at Daytona in a three-year window. More importantly, he is the only driver after 2010 who has won the title twice, all the more reason to look forward a wacky return.
Chase Elliott No. 9
Chase Elliott is just as decent a driver as any of the contenders we have listed so far. His overall Cup Series standing last season was 10, but he did pull quite a few amazing drives. He finished top-five on 11 occasions and fell within the first ten finishers 15 times. True, Elliott has been susceptible to bad bouts here and there, but overall, he has done very well in keeping his career progressing. In fact, 2019 marked his best year to date. The big question is whether Elliott is going to build on that success or fall behind?
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick is one of the biggest names that fans are looking forward to when it comes to Daytona. Harvick is a definitely a legend, bringing four wins in 2019. Even more impressively, he managed to pull off 362 top 10 finishes in 26 years on the race track and by this criterion alone, he’s almost at the top, second only to Jimmie Johnson. He won top-ten finishes in 20 races in 2019. He sealed New Hampshire Motor Speedway win, a speedway that is historically one of his personal favorites.
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch is another fan and oddsmakers’ favorite. To not consider Busch as a decent bet for Daytona is to not consider all your options at all. 2019 was particularly kind to him with Busch winning his second Cup Series title and he came very close to sealing Daytona 2019, coming second. Busch further won at Phoenix and Auto Club and managed to pull off 11 consecutive top 11 finishes, pointing to a driver who knows what he is doing. He blasted his way in the playoffs and kept steady at the top of the leaderboard throughout Round of 16, eventually pulling 15 points ahead of Denny Hamlin to seal the championship.
Ryan Blaney
For Ryan Blaney, an off-season just doesn’t seem an option. In 2019, the talented driver pulled off quite a few personal records and posted one of his strongest years in the Cup Series by far. Blaney quickly claimed 11 top fives and 18 top 10 finishers, with an average performance spread across the season at 13.7. He also managed to make it in the top 10 of each individual driver category, a recognition that truly highlights his talent.
He also started strongly early in the year, winning the Busch Pole Award, among other distinctions. During Round of 12 at Talladega, Blaney managed to outpace Ryan Newman by a hair-thin .007 seconds to the dismay of the audience. Just one of the many good performances of the year for sure. Blaney is without a doubt someone you will want to keep your eyes peeled for.
Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman is another name up high in the overall NASCAR standing, and there is a good reason for that. He finished 12th and added a career-best year. He managed 12 top tens and proved that he can be consistent year in and year out, continuing to improve his standing and performance. Furthermore, he sealed seven top fives placing him on our list of strong picks for the upcoming Daytona 500 and Cup Series in general.
How Difficult Is It to Win the Great American Race?
The format of the race is very grueling to experienced and new drivers together. A lot of factors come into play in determining who wins the 500-mile race and who even manages to cross the finishing line.
Drivers are expected to clock 200 laps and moderate their gas expenditure, keep car in a working condition all while trying to keep pace with other drivers equally decided to claim the $1.5 million prize purse for the first-place finisher. To put the challenges of the event in perspective, here are a few facts. Through 2015:
- Only 11 drivers have won 2 or more Daytona 500s
- Only 5 drivers have won 3 or more Daytona 500s
- Only 2 drivers have won 4 Daytona races
- Only 3 drivers have won 3 consecutive Daytona 500s
To put another way – Daytona 500 is pretty difficult to win because no matter how good the driver, there are technical hiccups to prepare for, and no matter how good the car, a driver could only go that far.
Daytona 500 Winners in the Last 10 Years
The most notable name in the past ten years is that of Denny Hamlin who has won twice and is by virtue of this feat and therefore perhaps capable of repeating his success for a third time. If he does, he will certainly make history. Here is a quick list of the last ten years’ winners:
About the Event
We have brushed a few strokes at the beginning explaining the magnitude of the event and further providing you with the data you would need to make an informed bet. Now, though, we are here to explain a little more, a little better.
Daytona 500 isn’t just another race on the circuit – it isn’t even treated as an inaugural race to get things started. It’s a ‘rude awakening’ to drivers and a challenge to anyone racing to shift into gear right away.
Daytona 500 Best Bets Fantasy
Compared to the Super Bowl, and rightly so, Daytona hold fascination upon fans. Some 170,000 fans flock to watch the event live over at Daytona Beach with tickets prices starting at $95. That is nothing, though, because viewership numbers see-saw between 9 and 12 million people.
For all intents and purposes, Daytona 500 has gravity, it has pull, it has a legacy. It’s also the perfect testing ground for newcomers. Will the sons of their fathers make old-timers proud? Chase Elliott has certainly done his father, Bill Elliot, justice and has carried the family name with dignity and an evident talent for racing.
The race is important, as mentioned before, for its curious approach towards the overall racing format. While most other sports give participants time to adapt, the NASCAR Cup Series puts an immediate importance on Daytona.
For all drivers out there still trying to make a name for themselves, the importance of shining in that third week of February is crucial.
Daytona’s Looking Good
Daytona 500 Best Bets No Deposit
Daytona 500 is indeed looking good this year. It’s true that viewership has slumped a little in recent years, but this is no reason for concern whatsoever. With Denny Hamlin looking at a third title since 2010, a lot of eyeballs will be fixed on him. NASCAR has undertaken some changes to the scheduling and tracks to make sure that fans feel more engaged. This year’s Daytona 500 is the beginning of what organization sees as a long-term transition.