Daytona 500 Odds & Picks

• The Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday, February 16th at 12:30 pm EST
• The race will take place at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
• Denny Hamlin won this race last year while Kyle Busch finished second. Who is the best bet to win it this year?

The 2020 NASCAR season officially begins in Florida at the Daytona 500,  as the drivers will gather at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 16th at 12:30 p.m. EST.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is in the pole position and Alex Bowman is right behind him in the No. 2 spot, but which driver in the field is the best bet to win the race?

Odds to Win 2020 Daytona 500

Odds taken Feb. 11th

Hop On Hamlin

There are going to be a number of big names among the favorites but from that group, I like Hamlin the most. After all, he has the most laps led (442) of any active driver that will be participating in Sunday’s race. He’s also coming off a win at last year’s event.

Hamlin has had a good start to the week with a sixth-place result at last weekend’s Busch Clash. Overall, he’s finished in the Top 10 a total of nine times with eight top five finishes and a pair of wins in his 28 starts at Daytona. He’s also sporting the third-best average driver finish of anyone who has made more than seven starts here.

Dillon For a Top 10

Austin Dillon only has 13 races under his belt here, but his average finish is actually the best of any driver who has been more than seven times. His two results last year were merely 33rd and 16th, but prior to that, he had picked up five Top 10’s in his previous seven starts.

While Dillon did end up in 33rd last year in the July race, keep in mind that he actually led for 46 laps. He looks like a great bet for Top 20 props – at the very least – as he’s achieved a top 20 finish in 10 of his 13 starts here. He also finished second at the Busch Clash, so that’s another very encouraging sign.

Invest in Erik Jones

Jones is fresh off a win at the Busch Clash, which is a very encouraging sign for him. The 23-year-old has a short history at Daytona with just six races under his belt but the results have been strong. Jones has a win in the summer race (of 2018) and placed third at the Daytona 500 last year.

Overall, he’s been in the Top 10 in three of his six starts.

We asked Coach Gibbs and Erik Jones if the #BuschClash was the wildest race they've ever been a part of.

Is it the craziest one you've ever seen?? pic.twitter.com/SH6FvnnS2j

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2020

I’m more inclined for a top ten bet with him because even though he’s done well, he hasn’t led very many laps. In his win, he led just the one lap and he’s only led 20 laps otherwise. He’s still very young, but he looks like he’ll be a force to be reckoned with on this track for years to come.

Pass On Kyle Busch

Of course, Busch will be a popular bet this week but to me, that’s not a smart play; that’s more of a casual’s bet. Busch hasn’t won at the Daytona 500 since 2008, which is not a great sign. Sure, he’s led tons of laps but when you look at the results, they are simply not there.

Over his last six starts at Daytona International Speedway, he has one second-place result and then all of his other finishes were 14th or worse. Looking further out, 12 of his last 15 finishes were outside of the Top 10. Sure, he’s capable of winning, but this is not the best place to bet on him.