Can-Am Duel 2 Predictions
The second of the two Can-Am Duels is stacked with top drivers. Which one will emerge victorious in this NASCAR race?
The Can-Am Duels are a pair of 150-mile races at Daytona International Speedway. Drivers compete in one of the two duels and the finishing order sets up the respective starting lanes for Sunday’s Daytona 500. The top two pole positions are locked in based on Sunday’s qualifying, but the rest of the field is settled tonight. The second duel will be held at 9PMET on air on FS1. According to the latest oddsmakers at YouWager, Denny Hamlin is favored in this race, as he has 3/1 odds. Other short odds to win are Kyle Busch (4/1), Chase Elliott (5/1) and Kevin Harvick (5/1).
Denny Hamlin is favored for a reason. He is a three-time Duel winner and claimed a victory in last year’s Duels as well. Hamlin’s driver rating of 86.4 at Daytona is also one of the best among active drivers. A short sprint on a fast track bodes well for him and I feel like he should be right in the mix for the checkered flag.
Kyle Busch may be the driver to beat in this race. Busch is also a three-time Duel winner, last claiming a victory in 2016. He comes into tonight’s race with the best driver rating of any active competitor at 96.2. This field is stacked, but Daytona is a place where Busch knows how to work his way up front.
Clint Bowyer has 15/1 odds to win this Duel but I think he is a nice dark horse option to come away with the victory. Of the active drivers, Bowyer ranks seventh in driver rating at Daytona (83.7). His average finish at the track of 15.9 is also among the best of this weekend’s field. In his last appearance at Daytona, he finished second. I look for him to make a push for the upset win tonight.