NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Daytona 500Sunday, February 24 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FLThe NASCAR season is underway with the historic Daytona 500 taking place Sunday. Daytona International Speedway, completed in 1959, is a 2.5-mile, tri-oval track with huge bankings (31-degree turns, 18-degree tri-oval banking). The frontstrech measures 3,800 feet with the backstretch coming in at 3,000 feet. Darkhorse Matt Kenseth (22-to-1 odds) took home the checkered flag last year after a crazy accident and rain postponed the finish of the race until Monday. But his odds to repeat are a much less favorable 10-to-1 odds this time around. Danica Patrick became the first female pole winner in this race, and will try to make history on Sunday. Odds to Win Race| Driver | Odds | | Kevin Harvick | 9-to-1 | | Tony Stewart | 10-to-1 | | Kyle Busch | 10-to-1 | | Matt Kenseth | 10-to-1 | | Kasey Kahne | 12-to-1 | | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 12-to-1 | | Brad Keselowski | 12-to-1 | | Jimmie Johnson | 12-to-1 | | Jeff Gordon | 12-to-1 | | Denny Hamlin | 15-to-1 | | Clint Bowyer | 18-to-1 | | Greg Biffle | 18-to-1 | | Carl Edwards | 20-to-1 | | FIELD (Any other driver) | 25-to-1 | | Jeff Burton | 25-to-1 | | Jamie McMurray | 25-to-1 | | Martin Truex Jr. | 25-to-1 | | Ryan Newman | 30-to-1 | | Paul Menard | 30-to-1 | | Kurt Busch | 30-to-1 | | Joey Logano | 30-to-1 | | Mark Martin | 30-to-1 | | Danica Patrick | 30-to-1 | | Marcos Ambrose | 40-to-1 | | Austin Dillon | 40-to-1 | | Ricky Stenhouse | 50-to-1 | | Juan Montoya | 50-to-1 | | Trevor Bayne | 75-to-1 | | Aric Almirola | 75-to-1 | | Bobby Labonte | 100-to-1 | | David Gilliland | 200-to-1 | | Dave Blaney | 200-to-1 | | Casey Mears | 200-to-1 | | Travis Kvapil | 200-to-1 |
Drivers to WatchTony Stewart (10/1) - Stewart has four career wins at this track, and he’ll be starting at a favorable 13th spot on Sunday after finishing sixth in Duel 1. Although he’s never won the Daytona 500 race in 14 tries, the odds are certainly favorable for “Smoke” given his success at this track. It may be chalky, but if there’s one driver you had to pick to win on Sunday, Stewart gets the nod.Jeff Gordon (12/1) - He hasn't won the Daytona 500 since 2005, but with six career wins at this track, he'll certainly be in the hunt on Sunday. He'll be starting in Row 1 alongside Danica Patrick after a great qualifying run, and is a great candidate to bounce back after his wreck in last year's Daytona 500 sent him to a 40th-place finish. At 12-to-1, he's worthy of a small wager. Greg Biffle (18/1) - Getting 18-to-1 odds for a third-row driver is pretty tremendous. That's especially true when this driver is coming off an outstanding season that included a third-place finish in this race. His history at this track would be even stronger had he qualified better, as he's starting better than ninth place for only the third time in 20 career races at this track. And in the past four restrictor plate races, Biffle has finished 6th, 21st, 5th and 3rd. Expect him to race near the front of the pack again on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson (12/1) - Since winning this race in 2006, Johnson has not been a factor in six straight starts at Daytona International Speedway, finishing 31st, 35th, 31st, 20th, 27th and 42nd due to a wreck. Although he’ll be starting ninth on Sunday, Johnson's starting position has been eighth or better in five of these past six failed races. His 12-to-1 odds may be worth a small wager though, because these odds are about as long as you’re going to see Johnson get all season. Danica Patrick (30/1) - These are some favorable odds for the pole-winner, especially since her popularity is likely to prompt fans to place a small wager on her. It would certainly be an incredible sports story if she won this race, but realistically, a top-10 finish would be about the best you could expect from such an inexperienced driver.
|
