Sports Betting Futures Odds: Earnhardt Starting on Front Row at Daytona 500

by Ricky Dimon - 2/21/2017

The NASCAR season gets underway this weekend with the most important race in the sport, the Daytona 500. Chase Elliott, son of Bill Elliott, is on the pole. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start right beside him. This week also marks the start of the NBA's proverbial second half, with the All-Star Game and Slam Dunk Contest having come (unfortunately) and gone (mercifully). Russell Westbrook may be feuding with Kevin Durant, but James Harden is the one Westbrook is battling for MVP.

All odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook.

Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+700) -Earnhardt qualified second this past weekend and will fire up his engine on the front row next to Elliott when the Great American Race takes center stage in the sports world on Sunday. The 2004 and 2014 Daytona 500 champion missed the second half of last season due to concussion symptoms.

Brad Keselowski (+700) - Keselowski is still in search of his first Daytona 500 victory. He was more than 40 laps off the leaders in 2015 and finished in 20^th place last year. The No. 2 car fared decently throughout in 2016 with four wins, 16 top-fives, and 22 top-10s, but it was eliminated early in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Jimmie Johnson (+1000) -Johnson, who won five straight overall season titles from 2006 through 2010, lifted the trophy for the seventh time in his career last year. He is a two-time winner in Daytona, having taken home the checkered flag in 2006 and 2013. Johnson placed fifth at the Daytona 500 in 2015 after starting on the front line.

Joey Logano (+1000) -Logano became the second-youngest winner of the Daytona 500 when he triumphed in 2015. He was a solid sixth last season, so it's obvious he knows what he is doing on this track. Logano finished second in last year's overall Sprint Cup standings. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin are also +1000.

NBA MVP

James Harden (-125) -Harden has a leg up on Westbrook because Houston is an awesome 40-18, good for third place in the Western Conference and fourth in the NBA. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, is a decent 32-25 but has slid to seventh in the West. Harden is leading the league in assists at 11.3 apg to along with 29.2 ppg and 8.3 rpg.

Russell Westbrook (+150) - Westbrook could not come away with a third straight All-Star Game MVP because everyone made sure Pelicans' big man Anthony Davis won it in front of his home fans. But regular-season MVP is still very much in play. Westbrook is averaging a triple-double with 31.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg, and 10.1 apg.

LeBron James (+800) - Harden and Westbrook do not have a ton of help. Well, LeBron's got that in the form of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, just to name a couple. Cleveland is a solid-but-unspectacular 39-16, three games ahead of Boston in the Eastern Conference. LeBron is averaging 25.9 ppg, 8.8 apg, and 7.7. rpg.

Kevin Durant (+1000) -As part of such a loaded Golden State roster, it will be difficult for Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green to garner individual accolades. But Durant's numbers (25.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.9 apg) are keeping him in the mix. Boston guard Isaiah Thomas is also a +1000 fourth choice.

Honda Classic

Adam Scott (+1100) - Scott was on fire at this time last year, finishing runner-up at Riviera before posting back-to-back wins at the Honda Classic and the Cadillac Championship. The defending champion is looking to heat up this season and played decent this past week at Riviera with a T11 finish.

Sergio Garcia (+1500) - Garcia gave Scott a run for his money at this tournament in 2016, finishing one shot back in second after going into the final round tied. The Spaniard is coming off a modest T49 showing at Riviera, where he recorded three rounds of either 71 or 72 and one with a 67.

Justin Thomas (+1700) - Thomas was the hottest player on the planet to begin 2017, with back-to-back titles in Hawaii. He has cooled off since, missing the cut in Phoenix and finishing T39 last week at Riviera. The American was T3 at the Honda Classic in 2016, so there is a lot to like about his chances this week.

Rickie Fowler (+1800) - Fowler remains his typically inconsistent self. Since the official end of the 2016 PGA Tour season last fall, he has three top-six performances (including a T4 earlier this month in Phoenix) and a missed cut at Torrey Pines. Fowler was not too far back with a T6 at last year's Honda Classic.

Academy Awards

Casey Affleck to win Best Actor (-180) -It looks like Manchester by the Sea won't take home Best Picture honors, but it is in serious contention for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. Affleck, the film's star, won for Best Actor - Drama at the Golden Globes and Is seemingly in line for his first Oscar on Sunday.

Denzel Washington to win Best Actor (+120) -Fences is just barely on the fence of contention for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, but Washington has a real chance to win Best Actor even though he did not prevail at the Globes. In 2001, he didn't win at the Globes for Training Day but did take home the Best Actor Oscar.

Emma Stone to win Best Actress (-600) - This was more competitive a few weeks ago, but Stone is now a considerable favorite. As expected, she won Best Actress - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. Isabelle Huppert, who won Best Actress - Drama for her performance in Elle, is a +1000 third choice.

Natalie Portman to win Best Actress (+400) -Portman remains a second choice even though she lost out to Huppert in the Best Actress - Drama category at the Globes. Portman's portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie has her in the mix for a second Oscar, having previously won in 2010 for her leading role in Black Swan.

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