Daytona 500 Betting Preview

Article ByKyle Garlett

February 15, 2024

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Posted in: US Sports Betting News, US Gambling News

A week after the Super Bowl produced a back-to-back champion, the Super Bowl of NASCAR, the Daytona 500, will see if Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can become its back-to-back champion.

The Kansas City Chiefs were the first to do it in the NFL in 19 years. But if Stenhouse does it, it would only end a four-year drought. Denny Hamlin was a back-to-back champ at Daytona in 2019 and 2020, becoming just the third driver to defend his title.

In six races at Daytona, last year’s win was the only time Stenhouse has finished in the top 10, and he is not one of the favorites heading into this Sunday’s race. Florida online sportsbooks have Stenhouse at +3000 to win.

Favorites to Win Daytona 500

Kyle Busch (+1000)

Denny Hamlin (+1000)

Brad Keselowski (+1100)

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Kyle Larson (+1200)

Joey Logano (+1200)

Chase Elliott (+1400)

Chris Buescher (+1600)

William Byron (+1800)

Bubba Wallace (+1800)

Oddsmakers have this as a wide open race, as the 500 at Daytona often is. In the last 10 years, we’ve had eight different winners, with the only repeat winner being Hamlin, with wins in 2016, 2019, and 2020. And it’s no surprise that Hamlin is one of the favorites heading into this race.

Last year, Hamlin finished 17th in this race, kicking off a season that ended with him finishing fifth overall. Along with his +1000 to win the race, he’s paying +285 to finish top 3, and +125 to finish top 5.

Kyle Busch has all of the same finishing odds, even though he has never taken the checkered flag at Daytona. He has 229 wins across three NASCAR competitions, but not one of those has been at The Great American Race. Last year, he almost won and should have won, leading the race under the caution flag when lap 200 was completed. But then he got caught up in a wreck as the race went into overtime.

Brad Keselowski is next at +1100. He, too, has never won the 500, although last year at the race at Daytona in August he was the second-place finisher. He was a top 10 finisher in this race in 2022, leading that race for 67 laps.

The three drivers at +1200 are all solid bets this season. Ryan Blaney is last year’s Cup Series champion, and he has been a runner-up at this race. Joey Logano has the pole for Sunday’s race, and he was a winner here in 2015. Kyle Larson won the Cup Series in 2021 and was last season’s runner-up. He has never won the Daytona 500, but has finished in the top 10 in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

NASCAR Cup Series Favorites

The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the season. But it is only the first of 36 Cup Series races in 2024. That 36th race is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway in November.

Xbet.ag has Ryan Blaney as the favorite to win the championship for a second straight year. He is paying +525. Kyle Larson is at +550, William Byron is next at +600, and Denny Hamlin at +700.

Chase Elliott won the Cup Series in 2020, and he is paying +775 to win it again in 2024. Christopher Bell is +875, 2017 winner Martin Truex Jr. is +950, and Joey Logano, the winner in 2018, is paying +1150.