Daytona Betting - Earnhardt Jr. will get back on track at Daytona
NASCAR betting for Saturday’s Coke 400 at Daytona International Speedway has all the usual suspects at the top of your offshore sportsbook odds, but it’s an old favorite of Daytona who will take the checkered flag under the lights to spark a late run to the Chase.
Daytona Odds: “Junior” to overtake rival Busch for another plate win
- Drafting skill, as well as partners, is essential
- Hendrick cars should rule the night
- Players should expect another last-lap pass for the win
Kyle Busch, the defending race-winner, has Daytona odds of +700 this week, but he may not get much drafting help outside of JGR teammates Denny Hamlin (+1200) and Joey Logano (+3000), who is coming off his first Sprint Cup win at Hampshire. Busch caused a massive accident in a late restart, and his apologies weren’t heeded by the drivers involved.
Tony Stewart is an online betting co-favorite with Busch at +700, and while he’s barely missed winning the Daytona 500, the points leader won here in 2005 and 2006. Stewart had another top-five last week at New Hampshire, and he finished eighth in the season-opening 500.
The Hendrick stable will be well represented by Jeff Gordon (+800), Jimmie Johnson (+900) and Mark Martin, who all finished in the top 15 at New Hampshire. Gordon has won this race three times, while Johnson (14.1) and Martin (15.2) have finishing averages in the Daytona summer race that should have them contending for a top 10.
Matt Kenseth has Daytona odds of +1500, and sportsbooks aren't putting much faith in the No.17 driver. Despite his win in the Daytona 500, which was shortened by rain, Kenseth has an 18.2 average in 38 restrictor-plate races at Daytona and Talladega. If you want to take a Roush-Fenway driver, take his younger teammate David Ragan, who offers great value with Daytona odds of +3500. Ragan’s been struggling this year, but he finished sixth at Daytona, and his 8.5 average in a pair of Coke 400s is the best among active drivers, so he’s definitely worth taking as one of your sportsbook picks.
LEE-ROY’S PICK: Speaking of struggling drivers who are good at Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is arguably the best restrictor-plate driver in the series, a trait he learned from his late father. Earnhardt Jr. won one of the Daytona duels before finishing a disappointing 27th in the 500, but he rebounded to finish second at Talladega. He also won this race back in 2001, which was the first time that NASCAR went back to Daytona after the death of Dale Earnhardt, so this place has special meaning to the most popular driver in the series. He’s done well since getting a new crew chief, and he was running up front at New Hampshire before the rain started. If he wants to make the Chase, it has to start here, and he’ll get plenty of help from his Hendrick teammates. With sports betting odds of +800, go with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
For more NASCAR lines and odds as we head towards the Chase, bookmark the offshore sportsbook at BetOnline.com.
Born in the betting capital of Las Vegas, Lee-Roy has grown to appreciate the likes of IndyCar and Formula 1 racing, but his first love is the high-speed ovals of NASCAR and he is a HUGE Tony Stewart fan. When it comes to motorsports handicapping, Buckles takes the checkered flag. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
