Daytona 500 Picks, Odds & Predictions 2/18/2024

by Guy Bruhn - 2/15/2024

Daytona 500

Sunday, February 18, 2024

2:30 PM EST

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Here we go, once again, with another season of NASCAR with this edition starting in Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500. Also known as the Great American Race, the Daytona 500 is the most sought-after win of the season for in this sport. One could compare it to the World Series of MLB or the NFL Super Bowl. What makes this race unique in comparison with other sports is that it opens the season in NASCAR as opposed to ending the season. That being said, there is no other sport that operates this way and therefore, all eyes will be watching NASCAR this weekend as we kick off another incredible run. The Daytona 500 stretches 2.5 miles with 200 laps. The final 25 will be a wild sprint to see who walks away with the checkered flag.

nascar picks Denny Hamlin predictions best bet odds

Drivers get to be a lot more comfortable with their cars and the track during the Daytona 500. This is because there are so many practice laps. With all of the qualifying races and practice sessions, these drivers learn what their cars are capable of and how to approach the race this weekend. We should be seeing a lot of big pack, three wide racing this weekend because of the familiarity factor. Bump drafting and pushing are out of the question so we'll most likely be seeing quick lane shifts, close drafting, and side drafting as NASCAR drivers will be looking for any sort of open pavement to grab on their quest to getting to the front of the pack.

2023 Season Recap

While this race doesn't tell us how the season will go, it might be indicative of what drivers have the teamwork, handling and horsepower early in the season. A lot of teams take the momentum of the Daytona 500 and take it into the season. Take Hendrick Motorsports for example. Kyle Larson and William Byron had solid streaks as the season wound down in November. Between the two of them, they had three wins, 11 top 5 finishes and 14 top 10 finishes over the final 10 races of the season. Joe Gibbs Racing also had an incredible run with Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin combining for two wins nine top 5 finishes and 13 top 10 finishes over the final 10 races.

With all that being said, Ryan Blaney was the one who took the Cup Championship last season. It was the second season in a row where Team Penske won the championship and they'll be looking to do it all over again this season.

Get all of our Nascar Betting Picks

NASCAR Playoff Standings

As we start the 2024 NASCAR season, every driver is in contention as of right now. That won't last for long. It'll be interesting to see who starts their season off the right way and who will start digging themselves into a hole.

Daytona 500 Odds

Denny Hamlin - +900
Kyle Busch - +1100
Brad Keselowski - +1200
Ryan Blaney - +1200
Kyle Larson - +1400
Joey Logano - +1400
Chris Buescher - +1400
Chase Elliott - +1400
William Byron - +1600
Bubba Wallace - +1800
Martin Truex Jr. - +2200
Erik Jones - +2200
Christopher Bell - +2200
Tyler Reddick - +2500
Ross Chastain - +2500
Austin Cindric - +2800
Alex Bowman - +2800
Ty Gibbs - +2800
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - +2800
Austin Dillon - +3000
Ryan Preece - +3500
Michael McDowell - +3500
Chase Briscoe - +3500

The Daytona 500 can be a big crapshoot when trying to determine who could win the race. It isn't the fastest car that usually wins, but the one that stays out of trouble the longest. While Ross Chastain sits at +2500, he has performed well at this race. He won a stage last season at this race and led for six laps after that. He ended up finishing in ninth that day. He's finished int he top 10 in the Daytona 500 three times in his five career starts. I'll go for the longshot Sunday.

Guy's Pick: Take Ross Chastain (+2500)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Start:	November 25, 2024 @ 10:37 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Daytona 500 Picks, Odds & Predictions 2/18/2024

Get all of Doc's Sports most recent NASCAR picks and predictions here