The NASCAR season is here and the grandest race of them all is this weekend with the Daytona 500. There have been 41 winners in its history but the question remains will the 2020 Daytona 500 race have a repeat winner or a newcomer?
The Storyline
The biggest story is the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. from his concussion suffered at midseason last year. He missed 18 races. So far he has garnered the most attention and is the oddsmaker favorite to come away with first place in this race. Vegas likes Earnhardt Jr. because he has 10 restrictor-plate wins and two wins at the Daytona 500. His stiffest competition may come from Chase Elliott who is on the pole for the second straight year.
Following Earnhardt in the odds are Keselowski, Logano, Johnson, Harvick and Kyle Busch who all could make a strong run at the finish line. Some are touting Jamie McMurty this weekend and other are latching onto Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman. Others believe it is time for Danica Patrick to get that big win. But not on this stage.
Newcomers Have Prevailed
This race has seen many first timers come away with the win with – Trevor Bayne (2011), Jamie McMurray (2010), Ryan Newman (2008), Ward Burton (2002) to name the most recent. It appears this is a possibility again this year.
The Race Time
The 2017 Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday February 26, 2017 at 2pm Eastern from Daytona International Speedway. Fox will broadcast the race, American idol alum Jordin Sparks will sing the National Anthem and actor Owen Wilson will serve as the Grand Marshall.
The Odds
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5/1
- Brad Keselowski 7/1
- Jimmie Johnson 10/1
- Kevin Harvick 10/1
- Martin Truex Jr. 10/1
- Denny Hamlin 12/1
- Joey Logano 12/1
- Kyle Busch 12/1
- Matt Kenseth 12/1
- Chase Elliott 14/1
- Clint Bowyer 20/1
- Kyle Larson 20/1
- Daniel Suarez 25/1
- Kurt Busch 25/1
- Jamie McMurray 30/1
- Kasey Kahne 30/1
- Austin Dillon 35/1
- Erik Jones 35/1
- Paul Menard 50/1
- Ricky Stenhouse 50/1
- Ryan Blaney 50/1
- Ryan Newman 50/1
- Trevor Bayne 50/1
- Elliott Sadler 75/1
- AJ Allmendinger 100/1
- Aric Almirola 100/1
- Danica Patrick 100/1
- Ty Dillon 100/1
- Casey Mears 150/1
- Chris Buescher 180/1
Ryan Blaney set to Win Daytona 500
Our Pick
Yes, this will be considered and outside of the box pick but it isn’t as far fetched as many would have you to believe. We are looking for Ryan Blaney to be in the winners circle in the Daytona 500. Blaney had a spectacular rookie campaign in 2015 (three top-5 finishes), as well as Woods Brothers’ rich history at Daytona 500 (five victories) in support of his rather stunning prediction. Take Ryan Blaney 50-to-1.
Prop Bets
One prop bet you may want to consider is the number of racers that lead the race at least one lap. Last year the total was 15 racers and the over/under is at 13.5. It looks good to bet over. Another prop is the number of cautions for the race. The previous nine Daytona 500 races has been under 9 and this looks like a bet to take the under.
