At the beginning of each season, NASCAR runs a reverse on all other sports. The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year. But it is the first race of the season instead of the last. And the Daytona 500 offers the element of NASCAR betting surprises not seen in other races. For example, longshot Michael McDowell was the 2021 Daytona 500 winner. It was the only career win in the career of McDowell, age 37, who has been a journeyman. Now McDowell is a +6000 pick to repeat as Daytona 500 winner.
2022 NASCAR Cup Series – Daytona 500
| Date and Time: | Sunday, February 20, 2022, 2:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Last Year’s Winner: | Michael McDowell |
| TV Coverage: | FOX |
NASCAR Betting Odds at SBG
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | +850 |
| Chase Elliott | +1000 |
| Kyle Larson | +1000 |
| William Byron | +1200 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1200 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1600 |
| Kurt Busch | +1600 |
| Bubba Wallace | +1600 |
| Alex Bowman | +1800 |
| Kyle Busch | +1800 |
| Kevin Harvick | +1800 |
| Aric Almirola | +2000 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +2000 |
| Austin Dillon | +2000 |
| Tyler Reddick | +2000 |
| All Other Drivers | +2200 or higher |
Daytona 500 SBG Odds Overview
As was previously noted, Michael McDowell is written off by almost all gamblers to repeat as the Daytona 500 champion. In other words, nobody expects lightning to strike twice at Daytona on Sunday. Instead, it is Denny Hamlin that is the understandable online betting favorite. Hamlin is a 3-time Daytona 500 champion. And he was the winner in 2019 and 2020.
The Daytona 500 is one of the most unpredictable races in NASCAR. That is because of the superspeedway track length of 2.5 miles and high banks. As a result of these dimensions, NASCAR has been forced to slow the cars down. Thus, the competition is more even. This factor is where an underdog like McDowell can win a race under these rules.
Top Daytona Favorites
#11 Denny Hamlin – Toyota – Joe Gibbs Racing
As mentioned earlier, Denny Hamlin has three career wins at the Daytona. In 32 career races at Daytona, Hamlin has 32 starts with three wins, 11 top-5, and 12 top-10 finishes. Hamlin has an average finish at Daytona of 15.88.
#9 Chase Elliott – Chevrolet – Hendrick Motor Sports
Of course, Chase Elliott is best known as the 2020 NASCAR Cup Champion. Elliott is the son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott. Thus, Chase was an instant fan favorite on the circuit. Chase Elliott has had mixed results at Daytona Motor Speedway. In 12 career starts, he has two top-5 and three top-10 finishes. His average finish at Daytona is 21.08.
#5 Kyle Larson – Chevrolet – Hendrick Motorsports
Last year Kyle Larson broke out as the most dominant driver in the NASCAR Cup circuit. Larson won the NASCAR Cup championship in a way that sets the tone for him becoming the next great driver. Of great concern is that Larson has not had much success at the Daytona Motor Speedway. Larson has 15 career starts with five top-10 finishes. His average finish at Daytona is 21.07.
#22 Joey Logano – Ford – Team Penske
Correlate that Joey Logano was the 2015 Daytona 500 champion. In 26 career Daytona starts, Logano has one win, six top-5, and nine top-10 finishes. His average finish at Daytona is 18.12.
Daytona 500 NASCAR SBG Betting Odds Picks
On this occasion, Denny Hamlin is the most proven NASCAR Betting choice.
Daytona 500 SBG NASCAR Betting Odds Online Pick: Denny Hamlin.