It’s time to make my predictions for the 2021 Daytona 500, which will hopefully help you make money on NASCAR’s classic race.
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. There are some crazy odds for the Daytona 500 in the list above. Denny Hamlin is the favorite for the race, coming in at +800. Hamlin is aiming to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive ‘500s at this world-famous superspeedway.
I’ll be looking at the odds for the Daytona 500, which goes down this Sunday, February 14, to see where the value is. Then, I’ll be looking at the likely winners before making my final 2021 Daytona 500 pick.
I already provided some early tips for betting on the 2021 Daytona 500, but there’s more information available now and I’m ready to predict the winner of the race.
let’s start by looking at the latest odds.
There are some crazy odds for the Daytona 500 in the list above.
Denny Hamlin is the favorite for the race, coming in at +800. Hamlin is aiming to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive ‘500s at this world-famous superspeedway.
Chase Elliott is tied with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney at +1000. Although the reigning Cup Series champion picked up a win at the Daytona Road Course in 2020, he had a patchy record at the superspeedway until finishing 2nd at last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Both Hamlin and Elliott are seeing a lot of action with the best betting sites for NASCAR. They are quite rightly among the top Daytona 500 odds, sure. But is there anyone else on this list that also deserves to be considered a favorite for the race?
Let’s find out.
If you’re looking to bet on the Daytona 500 for real money, familiarize yourself with the following trio.
These are the guys most likely to enter Victory Lane this Sunday.
Any NASCAR fan with knowledge of the biggest shocks over the years will know that making Daytona 500 predictions is difficult.
With that said, I believe that these are the best candidates for the job. One of these guys might be responsible for a lot of broken hearts this Valentine’s Day.
You might think Hamlin’s odds to win the Daytona 500 are a little slim.
But given the fact that he’s chasing his third victory here in a row means that the bookies are hot on him. Winning this race is hard enough. Winning the “Great American Race” three times in a row seems highly unlikely.
In a race regarded for its inconsistency, Hamlin is looking to change the way we approach gambling on the Daytona 500.
Will Hamlin win for the third year in a row? I’ll answer that question a little later.
The reigning, defending NASCAR Cup Series champion comes in with Daytona 500 odds of +1000.
He might have no wins in this race, but he has a 2nd place finish in the last event held on the main track.
And while it is not super relevant, Elliott winning the first race at the Daytona Road Course in 2020 is worth another mention.
Elliott’s average finish on this track is 16.11. If you are betting on NASCAR reguarly or religiously follow a NASCAR betting strategy, you’ll know how important it is to take form into the equation. But Chase Elliott’s odds for the 2021 Daytona 500 are spot on here. He has a big chance of winning this race.
Chase Elliott Record at Daytona | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Finish | Start | S1 Finish | S2 Finish |
Aug 29, 2920 | 2 | 27 | N/A | N/A |
Feb 16, 2020 | 17 | 25 | 1 | 7 |
Jul 7, 2019 | 35 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
Feb 17, 2019 | 17 | 18 | 7 | N/A |
Jul 7, 2018 | 34 | 1 | 5 | N/A |
Feb 18, 2018 | 33 | 4 | 8 | N/A |
Jul 1, 2017 | 22 | 2 | N/A | N/A |
Feb 26, 2017 | 14 | 1 | N/A | N/A |
Jul 2, 2016 | 32 | 24 | N/A | N/A |
Feb 21, 2016 | 37 | 1 | N/A | N/A |
Busch’s sole points win at the Daytona superspeedway circuit came in the Coke Zero 400. But don’t rule him out when making your 2021 Daytona 500 betting picks.
He will be licking his lips at the chance to cause an upset at the first Cup Series race on the calendar.
The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion had a poor year, making a meek defense of his title in 2020. But he has started this year off by winning The Clash at Daytona. That’s a great sign for a driver that is super keen to impress this season.
Busch has never won the Daytona 500. He did, however, finish 2nd in 2019.
The winner of the 2021 Daytona 500 is most likely to come from the top contenders I mentioned above.
But the following drivers could also be worth watching,
Larson makes his comeback to NASCAR in the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports.
Can “Yung Money” make you money on your Daytona 500 picks?
Byron, the winner of the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, is worth a couple of George Washingtons.
At odds of +1800, he is a little underpriced.
Wallace is racing for Michael Jordan’s new NASCAR team.
Denny Hamlin is a minority owner and will be mentoring Wallace. With the right equipment, as well as the advice of Hamlin, he could be up there with the best bets for the Daytona 500.
It might not be the most profound advice to gamble on the Daytona 500 in 2021, but I would suggest backing Hamlin.
He has shown he is one of the best Daytona 500 drivers in history and is aiming for his fourth win in the illustrious race.
Not many drivers can boast the sublime skills of the man behind the wheel of the 11 Toyota Camry. He is arguably the greatest NASCAR driver in history never to win a title. He’s in the conversation, at the very least.
My prediction for the Daytona 500 is Hamlin fighting his way to the front late on and taking the win in a super exciting fashion.
If odds of +800 don’t do it for you, you should check out my Daytona 500 sleepers, which feature value bets and longshots for Sunday’s NASCAR classic.
You can find more Daytona 500 betting content on the NASCAR blog section of this site. I’ll leave you with some of our popular content for the race!
The track opened in 1959 and was built by William “Bill” France and sits and with 180 acres of infield. It is primarily used for the 2.5 mile oval track.
Daytona’s tri-oval is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long with 31° banking in the turns and 18° banking at the start/finish line. The front straight is 3,800 feet (1,200 m) long and the back straight (or “superstretch”) is 3,000 feet (910 m) long. The tri-oval shape was revolutionary at the time as it greatly improved sight lines for fans. It is one of the two tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit that uses restrictor plates to slow the cars down due to the high speeds.
The 2021 Daytona 500 start the NASCAR season on February 14, 2021. There are always a ton of changes in the off-season so it will take a few weeks to catch up on the drivers, teams. spotters, and crews and even car numbers. We will get into that in the following weeks. Let’s take a look at the top drivers for the event .
Denny Hamlin has one top 5 and one top 10 at the Daytona track.His career average finish is 12th and has won in 2017, 2019, and 2020 here. He has led 145 career laps and has never sat at the pole to start a race at the Daytona International Speedway. He will be driving the #11 Toyota for the Joe Gibbs Racing Team.
Chase Elliott was he winner in 2020 Cup Series championship. He will be driving #9 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendricks Motorsports. At he enters the 2021 Daytona 500, he has six career races at Daytona with an average finish of 23rd. He has never won at this track.
Joey Logano has rwo Top 5 and two Top 10 finishes at Daytona with 2015 winner at the Daytona 500, He will be driving #22 Ford for the Tm Penske.
Brad Keselowski will be driving #2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske. He has finished at Daytona 36 times but never has won there.
Ryan Blaney has five career Cup Series wins but none at Daytona. He will drive #12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske.
Kevin Harvick driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series. Harvick joined SHR in 2014 after 13 years with Richard Childress Racing, winning his first Cup Series title in his maiden season with the team co-owned by three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas. Harvick has 58 career wins at NASCAR’s top level, including victories in the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500.
Denny Hamlin 8-1
Chase Elliott 10-1
Joey Logano 10-1
Brad Keselowski 10-1
Ryan Blaney 10-1
Kevin Harvick 12-1
Kyle Busch 15-1
William Byron 18-1
Aric Almirola 18-1
Martin Truex Jr. 18-1
Kyle Larson 18-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 20-1
Austin Dillon 25-1
Bubba Wallace 25-1
Ross Chastain 30-1
Matt DiBenedetto 30-1
Cole Custer 40-1
Chase Briscoe 40-1
Tyler Reddick 40-1
Christopher Bell 40-1
Chris Buescher 50-1
Austin Cindric 50-1
Erik Jones 50-1
Michael McDowell 75-1
Ryan Newman 75-1
Jamie McMurray 100-1
Ryan Preece 100-1
Ty Dillon 100-1
Daniel Suarez 125-1
David Ragan 150-1
Noah Gragson 150-1
Anthony Alfredo 150-1
Corey Lajoie 150-1
Kaz Grala 250-1
BJ McLeod 750-1
Timmy Hill 750-1
Chad Finchum 750-1
Josh Bilicki 750-1
Cody Ware 1000-1
Quin Houff 1000-1
It’s difficult not to choose Denny Hamlin here as he has won it to consecutive years but no one had ever won three in a row. He has to e the favorite. At 8/ 1 I will bet him to in . ALSO, I like om sleepers in this race, I will place a 18/1 bet on Kyle Larson. He missed plenty of time to a suspension and will be out to prove his worth at 18/1 odds. Not s sleeper but Ryan Blaney get 10/1 odds consideration from our team to win. The value bet for the 2021 Daytona 500 is Aric Almirola which shares some of my bet.
Good luck, betting NASCAR can be difficult. Look for ue each and every week. Bet responsibly!
NEXT Race: Feb, 21 Daytona Road Course