Daytona 500 Betting Board

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Daytona 500 Picks

• Date: Sunday, February 14, 2021
• TV-Time: FOX, 2:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: Daytona International Speedway
• Location: Daytona Beach, Florida

• Drivers in bold are past Daytona 500 champions. — Written by Bet the Board Staff for Athlon Sports' 2021 Racing magazine. Check out the Bet the Board podcast featuring Todd Fuhrman and Payne.
• Get a look at the betting odds and lines for the 2020 Daytona 500, including drivers who are not among the favorites but might be good value picks.

Handicapping NASCAR at Daytona

In the previous 62 Daytona 500s, no driver has won three straight of NASCAR's most prestigious race and we haven't seen anyone get the opportunity since Sterling Marlin tried in the 1996 event. But 2021 gives us a chance to watch history as Denny Hamlin will try to win his third straight Daytona 500 on Sunday and he's fully aware of what is at stake.

'I hope that I'm around (don't wreck early), that I give myself a chance to make history because ultimately, that's what I'm here for,' Hamlin said. 'Making history, doing something that no one else has ever done, that's what motivates me to want to get this one.'

He also will be shooting for his fourth Daytona 500 which would tie him with Cale Yarborough for second-most behind Richard Petty's seven wins. He has a chance to make history and that's the main theme coming into the 63rd running of the race.

There are only five active drivers other than Hamlin to win a Daytona 500 and all of them have one win each. Some of the best superspeedway drivers, or those from the restrictor-plate era, have retired and taken their secrets of manipulating the air in the draft. But the 40-year-old Hamlin learned in his younger years by watching the greats and finally won a superspeedway race in his ninth season racing on them at Talladega in 2014.

Now he's got five superspeedway wins, winning two of four last season -- top-four in all four -- closing out with a Talladega win. He led laps in all four superspeedway races last season and used different strategies in all. He'd either get upfront and lead to keep the ‘Big One' behind him or fall behind to keep an eye in front of him with enough room to avoid the inevitable pile up that always happens on superspeedways. He's been successful at both.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season begins on Sunday February 14 with the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Betting odds, picks, and predictions.

He's also got Joe Gibbs Racing equipment which has worked hard to be competitive in the opener at Daytona. Matt Kenseth led a bunch of laps on superspeedways for JGR, Erik Jones got a summer Daytona win in 2018, and Kyle Busch has the top Daytona rating (91.1) among all drivers since NASCAR's Loop Data started keeping track in 2005. Hamlin is rated No. 2 (88.7) over that span.

In Wednesday morning's first practice before qualifying, JGR equipment posted the top-five speeds with the new 2021 entry, Bubba Wallace, fastest with his Michael Jordan-Hamlin-owned No. 23.

The point is that it hasn't all been Hamlin, but he's been the one to use his skills the best and get out front lately. He uses the side-draft better than anyone and he blocks while leading better than anyone which is why we're talking about him possibly winning for the third straight season. The car rules and race packages are the same as 2020, although Hamlin's winning Daytona 500 car from last season is on display at Daytona USA.

NASCAR Cup Odds - Daytona

• Denny Hamlin +800
• Chase Elliott +1000
• Joey Logano +1000
• Ryan Blaney +1000
• Brad Keselowski +1400
• William Byron +1400
• (Odds Subject to Change)

William Hill sportsbooks have him listed as the 8-to-1 favorite while Circa Sports updated numbers Wednesday have him favored at 11-to-1 odds, the best number in the world.

I've been saying for years to be careful and be smart wagering every time there's a superspeedway race. It's repetitive but I feel it's important to remind you all that the volatility of these two tracks changes the true driver rating for each driver because they're more susceptible to being caught up in a wreck at no fault of their than other tracks.

That's why I say ditch the props and driver match-ups, but spend some more than usual on odds to win mixing in weighted amounts on a couple of favorites like Hamlin or Ryan Blaney (14/1), middle of the board drivers like Kyle Busch (19/1), Wallace (28/1), Chris Buescher (51/1), and a long shot like Jones (60/1) or Ryan Newman (60/1).

The sportsbooks know this as well which is why they don't offer any huge odds on the long shots but offer big odds on the favorites. It's the randomness, the crapshoot of it all where any driver can win. As the wrecks start happening, you start throwing bet tickets away, but for the final five laps, you may have three of the 10 drivers in the lead pack and have just as good of a shot as any.

Last season I had tickets on Hamlin and Newman in that situation and I got lucky, but I believed in Newman and the Roush equipment for superspeedways. I still do to an extent with Newman and Buescher, who finished third in the Daytona 500.

Let's talk about some contenders to derail Hamlin's quest for history beginning with his new employee Wallace who William Hill is offering at 28-to-1 odds.

Daytona 500 Contenders

The Toyota's have the least amount of friends and the drivers always choose manufacturers of their own to draft with which is all the more reason to be astounded by Hamlin's success. The Fords and Chevrolets all have more cars on the track than Toyota. But Hamlin just got a new wingman with Wallace in case Martin Truex, Jr., Busch, or Christopher Bell aren't around to push him.

Wallace had three top-fives in his three seasons with Richard Petty Motorsports and two of them came at Daytona, including a runner-up as a rookie in 2018. It's the only type of racing he had success with continuously where he could find his way to the front. But now he has basically a JGR car with Michael Jordan money attached and crew chief Mike Wheeler who was chief for Hamlin in the 2016 Daytona 500 win. This car is going to be fast and contending for the win while also pushing or being pushed by Hamlin.

I instantly thought of the 2001 Daytona 500 when Dale Earnhardt, just before he passed, was blocking for his two DEI cars driven by Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and gave up his chance to win -- he had a fast RCR No. 3 that day -- to let his two cars battle it out. He had never given anybody anything like that in his career.

That scenario won't play out here because Hamlin is going for three straight, but I'm sure at some point we'll see Hamlin have a hand at helping Wallace gets his first career Cup win, and if I could bet where it'll happen I would say on one of the four superspeedway races.

Team Penske has a great superspeedway package but only Joey Logano has a Daytona 500 win (2015). Brad Keselowski has a 2016 win at Daytona in the summer race and five other wins at Talladega.

Ryan Blaney has won at Talladega in each of the last two seasons and was runner-up in the Daytona 500 last season. They all have fast cars and all are also very good at understanding how the draft works. They also have friends from Roush, Front Row Motorsports, Wood Brothers, and Stewart-Haas Racing that drives Fords and can help in the draft.

The Chevy camp comes loaded with speed and young talent. Chevrolet has won the Daytona 500 pole the last eight seasons, and a Hendrick engine has won the last six, five of which were by a Hendrick driver.

William Byron (16/1) won last summer at Daytona for his first career Cup win. He's a nice pick to take his next logical step into NASCAR stardom in a year that just saw Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson,, and Clint Bowyer retire.

Chase Elliott (14/1) comes off his first championship season and NASCAR is hoping for more to come -- see seven road courses on the 2021 schedule. But he's never won at Daytona in a points-paying race. This would be a great place for the champ to bust out and gain an even bigger audience of young fans. Chase just has a quiet coolness about him and is hard not to like.

Back to only five active drivers that have Daytona 500 wins other than Hamlin. Earnhardt went almost an entire career racing and dominating all races at Daytona until finally winning the Daytona 500 in 1998. Tony Stewart never won one. Kyle Busch starts his 17th Daytona 500 searching for his first win. Keselowski is also still searching for his trophy, so is Truex, and so is Elliott -- all Cup champions.

As always, I'll go for the historical moment to happen and I supported Hamlin through the betting window, along with a few other guys I mentioned in this piece. Here are my top-5 selections using odds from Circa Sports Las Vegas:

Daytona 500
Top-5 Finish Prediction

• 1) #11 Denny Hamlin (11/1)
• 2) #12 Ryan Blaney (14/1)
• 3) #10 Aric Almirola (24/1)
• 4) #47 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (26/1)
• 5) #24 William Byron (16/1)

NASCAR Cup Series
Weekly Predictions

• Betting odds are now available for the Daytona 500, where back-to-back winner Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with +800 odds to win The Great American Race.
• Other top picks include Cup Series Champion Chase Elliot (+1000), Kyle Busch (+1400), Ryan Blaney (+1200), Kevin Harvick (+1400), and Joey Logano (+1200).

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When it comes to the world of stock car racing, the Daytona 500 stands alone as the most prestigious annual event on the schedule.

Every February, millions of eyes turn to Daytona International Speedway to see who will etch their name into the history books as a winner of The Great American Race.

From Earnhardt and Petty, to Gordon and Johnson, nearly every legendary driver has had their moment at Daytona. The race marks the beginning of the NASCAR season each year, with wide-eyed rookies and grizzled veterans going head-to-head at speeds over 200 MPH.

This year, the race will be a welcome distraction from the tribulations of the world as the best in the sport return for their chance to cruise into Victory Lane.

Those looking to bet on the Daytona 500 can do so from any of the state-sponsored sportsbook or via legal sports betting sites.

In the previous 62 Daytona 500s, no driver has won three straight of NASCAR's most prestigious race and we haven't seen anyone get the opportunity since Sterling Marlin tried in the 1996 event. But 2021 gives us a chance to watch history as Denny Hamlin will try to win his third straight Daytona 500 on Sunday and he's fully aware of what is at stake.

'I hope that I'm around (don't wreck early), that I give myself a chance to make history because ultimately, that's what I'm here for,' Hamlin said. 'Making history, doing something that no one else has ever done, that's what motivates me to want to get this one.'

He also will be shooting for his fourth Daytona 500 which would tie him with Cale Yarborough for second-most behind Richard Petty's seven wins. He has a chance to make history and that's the main theme coming into the 63rd running of the race.

There are only five active drivers other than Hamlin to win a Daytona 500 and all of them have one win each. Some of the best superspeedway drivers, or those from the restrictor-plate era, have retired and taken their secrets of manipulating the air in the draft. But the 40-year-old Hamlin learned in his younger years by watching the greats and finally won a superspeedway race in his ninth season racing on them at Talladega in 2014.

Now he's got five superspeedway wins, winning two of four last season -- top-four in all four -- closing out with a Talladega win. He led laps in all four superspeedway races last season and used different strategies in all. He'd either get upfront and lead to keep the ‘Big One' behind him or fall behind to keep an eye in front of him with enough room to avoid the inevitable pile up that always happens on superspeedways. He's been successful at both.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season begins on Sunday February 14 with the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Betting odds, picks, and predictions.

He's also got Joe Gibbs Racing equipment which has worked hard to be competitive in the opener at Daytona. Matt Kenseth led a bunch of laps on superspeedways for JGR, Erik Jones got a summer Daytona win in 2018, and Kyle Busch has the top Daytona rating (91.1) among all drivers since NASCAR's Loop Data started keeping track in 2005. Hamlin is rated No. 2 (88.7) over that span.

In Wednesday morning's first practice before qualifying, JGR equipment posted the top-five speeds with the new 2021 entry, Bubba Wallace, fastest with his Michael Jordan-Hamlin-owned No. 23.

The point is that it hasn't all been Hamlin, but he's been the one to use his skills the best and get out front lately. He uses the side-draft better than anyone and he blocks while leading better than anyone which is why we're talking about him possibly winning for the third straight season. The car rules and race packages are the same as 2020, although Hamlin's winning Daytona 500 car from last season is on display at Daytona USA.

NASCAR Cup Odds - Daytona

• Denny Hamlin +800
• Chase Elliott +1000
• Joey Logano +1000
• Ryan Blaney +1000
• Brad Keselowski +1400
• William Byron +1400
• (Odds Subject to Change)

William Hill sportsbooks have him listed as the 8-to-1 favorite while Circa Sports updated numbers Wednesday have him favored at 11-to-1 odds, the best number in the world.

I've been saying for years to be careful and be smart wagering every time there's a superspeedway race. It's repetitive but I feel it's important to remind you all that the volatility of these two tracks changes the true driver rating for each driver because they're more susceptible to being caught up in a wreck at no fault of their than other tracks.

That's why I say ditch the props and driver match-ups, but spend some more than usual on odds to win mixing in weighted amounts on a couple of favorites like Hamlin or Ryan Blaney (14/1), middle of the board drivers like Kyle Busch (19/1), Wallace (28/1), Chris Buescher (51/1), and a long shot like Jones (60/1) or Ryan Newman (60/1).

The sportsbooks know this as well which is why they don't offer any huge odds on the long shots but offer big odds on the favorites. It's the randomness, the crapshoot of it all where any driver can win. As the wrecks start happening, you start throwing bet tickets away, but for the final five laps, you may have three of the 10 drivers in the lead pack and have just as good of a shot as any.

Last season I had tickets on Hamlin and Newman in that situation and I got lucky, but I believed in Newman and the Roush equipment for superspeedways. I still do to an extent with Newman and Buescher, who finished third in the Daytona 500.

Let's talk about some contenders to derail Hamlin's quest for history beginning with his new employee Wallace who William Hill is offering at 28-to-1 odds.

Daytona 500 Contenders

The Toyota's have the least amount of friends and the drivers always choose manufacturers of their own to draft with which is all the more reason to be astounded by Hamlin's success. The Fords and Chevrolets all have more cars on the track than Toyota. But Hamlin just got a new wingman with Wallace in case Martin Truex, Jr., Busch, or Christopher Bell aren't around to push him.

Wallace had three top-fives in his three seasons with Richard Petty Motorsports and two of them came at Daytona, including a runner-up as a rookie in 2018. It's the only type of racing he had success with continuously where he could find his way to the front. But now he has basically a JGR car with Michael Jordan money attached and crew chief Mike Wheeler who was chief for Hamlin in the 2016 Daytona 500 win. This car is going to be fast and contending for the win while also pushing or being pushed by Hamlin.

I instantly thought of the 2001 Daytona 500 when Dale Earnhardt, just before he passed, was blocking for his two DEI cars driven by Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and gave up his chance to win -- he had a fast RCR No. 3 that day -- to let his two cars battle it out. He had never given anybody anything like that in his career.

That scenario won't play out here because Hamlin is going for three straight, but I'm sure at some point we'll see Hamlin have a hand at helping Wallace gets his first career Cup win, and if I could bet where it'll happen I would say on one of the four superspeedway races.

Team Penske has a great superspeedway package but only Joey Logano has a Daytona 500 win (2015). Brad Keselowski has a 2016 win at Daytona in the summer race and five other wins at Talladega.

Ryan Blaney has won at Talladega in each of the last two seasons and was runner-up in the Daytona 500 last season. They all have fast cars and all are also very good at understanding how the draft works. They also have friends from Roush, Front Row Motorsports, Wood Brothers, and Stewart-Haas Racing that drives Fords and can help in the draft.

The Chevy camp comes loaded with speed and young talent. Chevrolet has won the Daytona 500 pole the last eight seasons, and a Hendrick engine has won the last six, five of which were by a Hendrick driver.

William Byron (16/1) won last summer at Daytona for his first career Cup win. He's a nice pick to take his next logical step into NASCAR stardom in a year that just saw Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson,, and Clint Bowyer retire.

Chase Elliott (14/1) comes off his first championship season and NASCAR is hoping for more to come -- see seven road courses on the 2021 schedule. But he's never won at Daytona in a points-paying race. This would be a great place for the champ to bust out and gain an even bigger audience of young fans. Chase just has a quiet coolness about him and is hard not to like.

Back to only five active drivers that have Daytona 500 wins other than Hamlin. Earnhardt went almost an entire career racing and dominating all races at Daytona until finally winning the Daytona 500 in 1998. Tony Stewart never won one. Kyle Busch starts his 17th Daytona 500 searching for his first win. Keselowski is also still searching for his trophy, so is Truex, and so is Elliott -- all Cup champions.

As always, I'll go for the historical moment to happen and I supported Hamlin through the betting window, along with a few other guys I mentioned in this piece. Here are my top-5 selections using odds from Circa Sports Las Vegas:

Daytona 500
Top-5 Finish Prediction

• 1) #11 Denny Hamlin (11/1)
• 2) #12 Ryan Blaney (14/1)
• 3) #10 Aric Almirola (24/1)
• 4) #47 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (26/1)
• 5) #24 William Byron (16/1)

NASCAR Cup Series
Weekly Predictions

• Betting odds are now available for the Daytona 500, where back-to-back winner Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with +800 odds to win The Great American Race.
• Other top picks include Cup Series Champion Chase Elliot (+1000), Kyle Busch (+1400), Ryan Blaney (+1200), Kevin Harvick (+1400), and Joey Logano (+1200).

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When it comes to the world of stock car racing, the Daytona 500 stands alone as the most prestigious annual event on the schedule.

Every February, millions of eyes turn to Daytona International Speedway to see who will etch their name into the history books as a winner of The Great American Race.

From Earnhardt and Petty, to Gordon and Johnson, nearly every legendary driver has had their moment at Daytona. The race marks the beginning of the NASCAR season each year, with wide-eyed rookies and grizzled veterans going head-to-head at speeds over 200 MPH.

This year, the race will be a welcome distraction from the tribulations of the world as the best in the sport return for their chance to cruise into Victory Lane.

Those looking to bet on the Daytona 500 can do so from any of the state-sponsored sportsbook or via legal sports betting sites.

Odds To Win 2021 Daytona 500 – 2/14/21 2:30 p.m. EST

• Denny Hamlin #11 +800
• Joey Logano #22 +900
• Chase Elliott #9 +950
• Ryan Blaney #12 +950
• Brad Keselowski #2 +1000
• Aric Almirola #10 +1200
• Kyle Larson #5 +1200
• Alex Bowman #48 +1400
• Kevin Harvick #4 +1400
• William Byron #24 +1400
• Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. #47 +1600
• Kyle Busch #18 +1800
• Kurt Busch #1 +2000
• Martin Truex Jr. #19 +2000
• Darrell Wallace Jr. #23 +2500
• Ross Chastain #42 +2500
• Austin Dillon #3 +2800
• Christopher Bell #20 +4000
• Matt DiBenedetto #21 +5000
• Tyler Reddick #8 +5000
• Chase Briscoe #14 +6000
• Chris Buescher #17 +6000
• Cole Custer #41 +6000
• Jamie McMurray #77 +6600
• Ryan Newman #6 +6600
• Erik Jones #43 +7000
• Michael McDowell #34 +8000
• David Ragan #36 +10000
• Cody Ware #51 +15000
• Corey LaJoie #7 +15000
• Daniel Suarez #99 +15000
• Derrike Cope #15 +15000
• Quin Houff #00 +15000
• Anthony Alfredo #38 +20000
• Kaz Grala #16 +20000
• Noah Gragson #62 +20000
• Ryan Preece #37 +20000
• BJ McLeod #78 +50000
• Garrett Smithley #13 +50000
• Joey Gase #53 +50000
• Josh Bilicki #52 +50000

Bettors looking to bet on the biggest NASCAR race of the season will be focusing on one man more than any other.

Denny Hamlin (+800) will be going for his third straight win at the Daytona 500, and fourth overall. All of Hamlin's wins have come since 2016, and he will have the chance to establish himself as one of the greatest of all time to ever race the Trioval with another win on Sunday.

Hamlin has proved to be a popular pick amongst bettors, earning 18% of the total betting handle so far on the popular DraftKings Sportsbook. Fifteen percent of total bets on the race so far have come in on Hamlin and his #11 FedEx Toyota.

Hamlin is followed by Joey Logano at +950. Logano and his #22 Pennzoil Ford have been a force at Daytona over the years, earning his way to victory lane back in 2015. Logano has earned 6% of the total betting handle via DraftKings.

Just behind the top two comes 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliot in his #9 NAPA Auto Chevrolet. Elliot has shown he can win on any race track, and is currently available for +950 betting odds. Elliot has earned 14% of the total betting handle thus far according to DraftKings.

The top group is followed by names like Ryan Blaney (+950), Brad Keselowski (+1000), and Florida-native Aric Almirola (+1200), who earned a bout of confidence following a win Thursday night in the Duel at Daytona.

CHECKERED FLAG: @Aric_Almirola battles back on the final lap to win #BluegreenDuel No. 1 at @DAYTONA! pic.twitter.com/4HpGUwUcTw

How To Bet On The Daytona 500

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 12, 2021

Behind that group comes a series of drivers with tremendous value. The always dangerous Kyle Busch sits at +1800 on the betting board despite earning 7% of all total bets at DraftKings. Superspeedway expert Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is available for +1600, and NASCAR's newest star, Bubba Wallace, sits at a tasteful +2500 price.

Wallace has earned the biggest bet so far at DraftKings, with one bettor placing $1,000 on the #23 car.

While all these big names attract the big money, the best part about the Daytona 500 is the fact that anyone can have their day.

Known as a wreck fest, the race has a tendency for chaos and has produced some unlikely winners over the years, including 2011 winner Trevor Bayne. Bayne became the youngest driver to win the 500 at just 20 years old, but has yet to win another race in the Cup Series and was most recently racing on the Truck Series in 2020.

This year, longshot bettors are eyeing names like Ryan Newman (+6600), Corey LaJoie (+15000), and Daniel Suarez (+15000).

LaJoie and Saurez are young drivers with tons of upside, while Ryan Newman is looking for redemption on the biggest stage. Newman suffered a terrifying crash when he was spun out by Ryan Blaney while leading on the final lap of last year's Daytona 500.

The most vicious crash I have ever caught on video. Glad to hear Ryan Newman's injuries aren't life threatening. Wishing him a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/8REQWot81M

— Chris Weaver (@chris8video) February 18, 2020

Daytona 500 Betting Board Games

For those that believe in destiny, Newman will be a popular pick. As the race approaches, the 2021 Daytona 500 odds are subject to change. Now might very well provide the best value for NASCAR bettors.

Daytona Betting Odds

News tags: Brad Keselowski | Bubba Wallace | Chase Elliot | Daytona 500 | Daytona 500 Odds | Denny Hamlin | Kevin Harvick | Kyle Busch | NASCAR | NASCAR Betting | Ryan Blaney

Daytona 500 Betting Boards

Jimmy began his journalistic journey as a stat recorder and PA announcer for his middle school baseball team. Full of experience across print, broadcast, and sports radio, he brings his knowledge and toolkit to the LegalSportsBetting team. You can find him watching sports, making parlays, and listening to music on any day ending in Y.