The NASCAR Cup Series kicks off the 2021 season at Daytona International Speedway Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET for the Daytona 500. Below we analyze the Daytona 500 NASCAR odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.
Daytona 500: What you need to know
We break down the favorites to win the 61st running of the Daytona 500, according to Las Vegas sports book odds. Who is the favorite? Daytona 500 odds: 9-1 2018 Daytona 500 finish: 15th Best. Another reason Hamlin is the favorite to win Saturday night's race is his 88.3 career driver rating at Daytona, the second best in the field behind Kyle Busch's 90.7.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 4:18 p.m. ET.
The Cup Series is scheduled to kick off its 2021 season Sunday for the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. However, we'll have to keep a close eye on the sky. There is greater than a 60 percent chance of showers from mid-afternoon through the early evening in Daytona Beach, Fla., so a delay and/or postponement seems likely given the ominous forecast.
Monday's forecast calls for mostly clear in the morning with a 40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms moving in around 1 p.m. ET. But there is an open window in the event the race is postponed Sunday.
Kyle Busch won the Busch Clash at Daytona on Tuesday night on the road course. While that certainly doesn't mean sure success on the tri-oval, it gives Busch a springboard into the new season after a disastrous 2020.Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin
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Bet $1 on any driver to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if your driver just completes a lap. New customer offer, available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. PA residents, don't miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!
Place all of your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Who is going to win the Daytona 500?
HAMLIN (+500) is the chalk, but you have to figure it's time for someone else. The No. 11 has been to Victory Lane in each of the past two seasons in the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing. Hamlin's two wins, and three victories in the past five seasons, gives manufacturer Toyota checkered flags in three of the past five Daytona 500 races.
Hamlin joined Sterling Marlin (1994-95), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Richard Petty (1973-74) as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 in consecutive seasons. No one has ever won the Daytona 500 in three straight years.
Stewart-Haas Racing's KEVIN HARVICK (+1200) has some rather long odds given his previous success at the track. He has made 39 career starts on the Daytona tri-oval, posting two wins, 10 top-5 finishes, 262 laps led and a sharp 17.6 AFP. He also has eight DNFs at the track, second-most among active drivers behind KYLE BUSCH (+1400), so there is some risk.
Penske Racing's JOEY LOGANO (+900) is looking to get back to Victory Lane at the 500 for the first time since 2015. He owns an impressive 18.17 AFP in 24 career DIS starts, including nine finishes of 10th or better with 156 laps led.
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Daytona 500 long-shot bet
RICKY STENHOUSE JR. (+2500) of JTG Daugherty Racing was on the pole last season and was fifth fastest in qualifying at 189.565 mph. He is always a driver to watch on the superspeedways, especially Daytona. He has a win in 17 career starts, 121 laps led and 10 finishes of 20th or better while going for a solid 19.59 AFP.
ARIC ALMIROLA (+1800) doesn't have quite as long of odds, but he is worth a look. He appeared to be on his way to a win at the 500 in 2018, but he was bumped by Dillon and sent careening into the wall. He does have a career win in Daytona in the summer race, and he has 10 finishes of 20th or better in 18 career starts with a 20.56 AFP.
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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
2021 NASCAR Instacart 500 Odds
- Date: Sunday, March 14, 2021
- Venue: Phoenix Raceway
- Location: Avondale, Arizona
| Odds to Win 2021 NASCAR Instacart 500 (3/14/2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Daytona 500 Picks To Win
2021 NASCAR Cup Series - Championship
- Date: Sunday, November 7, 2021
- Venue: Phoenix Speedway
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
| Odds to Win 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship (11/7/2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated Mon, Mar. 8, 11:30 AM ET - Odds Provided by DraftKings - Subject to Change
- Where to Bet:
How To Bet Auto Racing Futures
The 'Odds to Win' wager in auto racing is very simple to understand. Put simply, you just need to select the driver that will capture the checkered flag of the race You select any of the drivers in the race and your payout for the bet will depend on the odds given at the time of the wager. This wager can be placed until the race begins.
To figure out your Win Amount, take the odds and multiply by the amount wagered. Ex. Jimmie Johnson (5/2) - Jimmie Johnson is listed as a 5/2 betting choice. If you wager $100 on Johnson to win the event and he comes in first, then you would win $250 (5 ÷ 2 x 100). You would collect $350, which includes your win and stake ($100).
What does the FIELD mean? Many races will include a betting selection called the Field. This bet consists of all drivers not listed in the 'Odds to Win.' Most races have a set number of drivers but it's rare to see oddsmakers put a price on every driver that will race. Drivers that are given the least opportunity to win the race will be grouped into the 'Field' odds and paid out accordingly if they win.
Instacart 500 Odds to Win
On Sunday, Mar. 14 2021, the 2021 NASCAR season will head to Phoenix Raceway for the Instacart 500, which takes place from Avondale, Arizona. There are plenty of contenders expected to be in the hunt for the fifth points race of the 2021 season.
- Chase Elliott +500
- Denny Hamlin +600
- Kevin Harvick +600
- Brad Keselowski +700
- Kyle Busch +800
- Joey Logano +800
Betting on NASCAR Odds
Where can I bet on NASCAR?
Special Daytona 500 Betting Promotion!
Bet $1 on any driver to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if your driver just completes a lap. New customer offer, available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. PA residents, don't miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!
Place all of your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Who is going to win the Daytona 500?
HAMLIN (+500) is the chalk, but you have to figure it's time for someone else. The No. 11 has been to Victory Lane in each of the past two seasons in the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing. Hamlin's two wins, and three victories in the past five seasons, gives manufacturer Toyota checkered flags in three of the past five Daytona 500 races.
Hamlin joined Sterling Marlin (1994-95), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Richard Petty (1973-74) as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 in consecutive seasons. No one has ever won the Daytona 500 in three straight years.
Stewart-Haas Racing's KEVIN HARVICK (+1200) has some rather long odds given his previous success at the track. He has made 39 career starts on the Daytona tri-oval, posting two wins, 10 top-5 finishes, 262 laps led and a sharp 17.6 AFP. He also has eight DNFs at the track, second-most among active drivers behind KYLE BUSCH (+1400), so there is some risk.
Penske Racing's JOEY LOGANO (+900) is looking to get back to Victory Lane at the 500 for the first time since 2015. He owns an impressive 18.17 AFP in 24 career DIS starts, including nine finishes of 10th or better with 156 laps led.
Play our new free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now!
Daytona 500 long-shot bet
RICKY STENHOUSE JR. (+2500) of JTG Daugherty Racing was on the pole last season and was fifth fastest in qualifying at 189.565 mph. He is always a driver to watch on the superspeedways, especially Daytona. He has a win in 17 career starts, 121 laps led and 10 finishes of 20th or better while going for a solid 19.59 AFP.
ARIC ALMIROLA (+1800) doesn't have quite as long of odds, but he is worth a look. He appeared to be on his way to a win at the 500 in 2018, but he was bumped by Dillon and sent careening into the wall. He does have a career win in Daytona in the summer race, and he has 10 finishes of 20th or better in 18 career starts with a 20.56 AFP.
Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
2021 NASCAR Instacart 500 Odds
- Date: Sunday, March 14, 2021
- Venue: Phoenix Raceway
- Location: Avondale, Arizona
| Odds to Win 2021 NASCAR Instacart 500 (3/14/2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Daytona 500 Picks To Win
2021 NASCAR Cup Series - Championship
- Date: Sunday, November 7, 2021
- Venue: Phoenix Speedway
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
| Odds to Win 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship (11/7/2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Updated Mon, Mar. 8, 11:30 AM ET - Odds Provided by DraftKings - Subject to Change
- Where to Bet:
How To Bet Auto Racing Futures
The 'Odds to Win' wager in auto racing is very simple to understand. Put simply, you just need to select the driver that will capture the checkered flag of the race You select any of the drivers in the race and your payout for the bet will depend on the odds given at the time of the wager. This wager can be placed until the race begins.
To figure out your Win Amount, take the odds and multiply by the amount wagered. Ex. Jimmie Johnson (5/2) - Jimmie Johnson is listed as a 5/2 betting choice. If you wager $100 on Johnson to win the event and he comes in first, then you would win $250 (5 ÷ 2 x 100). You would collect $350, which includes your win and stake ($100).
What does the FIELD mean? Many races will include a betting selection called the Field. This bet consists of all drivers not listed in the 'Odds to Win.' Most races have a set number of drivers but it's rare to see oddsmakers put a price on every driver that will race. Drivers that are given the least opportunity to win the race will be grouped into the 'Field' odds and paid out accordingly if they win.
Instacart 500 Odds to Win
On Sunday, Mar. 14 2021, the 2021 NASCAR season will head to Phoenix Raceway for the Instacart 500, which takes place from Avondale, Arizona. There are plenty of contenders expected to be in the hunt for the fifth points race of the 2021 season.
- Chase Elliott +500
- Denny Hamlin +600
- Kevin Harvick +600
- Brad Keselowski +700
- Kyle Busch +800
- Joey Logano +800
Betting on NASCAR Odds
Where can I bet on NASCAR?
There are several legal sportsbook options in the United States. Visit our sportsbook directory to find online sportsbooks where you can bet on NASCAR races.
Who are the experts picking to win?
Our experts offer picks on all the big auto racing events. Check out our preview content or pick packages for the most up to date NASCAR predictions.
What type of bets can I make on NASCAR races?
The future odds show each racer's odds to win an event outright. Certain sportsbook may also offer other betting angles, such as Top 3 Finish, Top 5 Finish, and Car Number Over/Under.
Where can I learn how to bet on auto racing?
Who Is Favored To Win Daytona 500
To learn more about betting on NASCAR and other auto races, check out our auto racing betting tutorial.
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Daytona 500 Favorites To Win Real Money
