Daytona 500 Picks
Which driver will open the 2017 NASCAR season with a win in the biggest race, the Daytona 500? Here’s our picks for today’s race.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a 5/1 favorite to win. Other short odds are Brad Keselowski (13/2), Denny Hamlin (15/2) and Joey Logano (8/1). The Daytona 500 takes place today at 2:30PM ET from Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time winner, last taking the race in 2014. He also has had a good week, qualifying second for the race. After missing most of last season with concussion issues, I expect Dale Jr. to come back strong today. He is a four-time winner at Daytona as is and has a driver rating of 94.1, which ranks second in the field.
Kyle Busch has 12/1 odds to win this race. While he has never won this race, he has the top driver rating in today’s field at 95.9. He also does have a win at Daytona in his career. Busch has done it all in his career, but this race is the only thing missing. Look for him to make a charge for his first win tonight.
Matt Kenseth has 15/1 odds today, but I think there is some good value there. He is a two-time winner of this race and has a top-10 starting spot today. His driver rating at the track is 88.5, which ranks fifth in today’s field. I like Kenseth to do his normal thing of laying low and then making a late charge to pick up a win.
