The NASCAR Cup Series 2022 season was full of excitement, and fans are eagerly waiting for the 2023 season to kick off with the highly anticipated Daytona 500. Betting enthusiasts are also gearing up to place their wagers on the five drivers who have the potential to win the race, and here are some top picks and longshot plays for the upcoming event.
Chalk play: Kyle Busch
Busch has never won the Daytona 500 despite his best efforts in the past 20 years. However, he is still one of the top picks due to his driving skills and the fact that he will be driving for a new team, Richard Childress Racing. He almost won the Clash at the Coliseum exhibition race, even though he had to fight his way back from the rear of the field after a spin. Busch is currently priced at +1200 to win the race.
Trending up: Bubba Wallace
Wallace has recorded four top fives at Daytona, including a second-place finish in last year’s 500, proving that he has what it takes to run up front at this track. He should be able to build on his performance from last season with his team, 23XI Racing, which is on the rise. The Toyota teams also tend to perform well at Daytona, making Wallace a strong contender at +1600 to win the race.
Best value: Tyler Reddick
Reddick is now teammates with Wallace in 23XI Racing and is set to have the most successful Daytona 500 of his career. He has won three times last season, and his skill should keep him around at the end of the race. With strong equipment and the desire to make a good first impression with Toyota, Reddick is a steal at +2500.
Mid-pack play: Michael McDowell
McDowell, a former Daytona 500 champion, usually runs in the middle of the pack, but his team, Front Row Motorsports, tends to do more with less at superspeedways. They have won multiple times at Daytona and Talladega, making McDowell a good value play at +3500.
Longshot play: Corey LaJoie
LaJoie’s Spire Motorsports may not have the most powerful team, but they can still hang with the big names at Daytona. LaJoie showed last season that he can lead laps even in less than stellar equipment, making him a longshot play at +10000. Winning the Daytona 500 could be the breakthrough that LaJoie needs to make a significant career leap.
Daytona 500 Odds
| Joey Logano (+300 top three, +180 top five, +100 top 10) | +1000 to win |
| Denny Hamlin (+320 top three finish, +160 top five, -130 top 10) | +1100 to win |
| Ryan Blaney (+300 top three, +140 top five, -130 top 10) | +1200 to win |
| Chase Elliott (+320 top three, +160 top five, -130 top 10) | +1200 to win |
| Kyle Busch (+375 top three, +200 top five, -110 top 10) | +1200 to win |
| Kyle Larson (+325 top three, +180 top five, -120 top 10) | +1400 to win |
| Bubba Wallace (+425 top three, +200 top five, +100 top 10) | +1600 to win |
| William Byron (+475 top three, +200 top five, +100 top 10) | +1700 to win |
| Ross Chastain (+450 top three, +200 top five, +100 top 10) | +2000 to win |
| Alex Bowman (+400 top three, +320 top five, +140 top 10) | +2000 to win |
| Brad Keselowski (+500 top three, +250 top five, +120 top 10) | +2000 to win |
| Austin Cindric (+450 top three, +300 top five, -110 top 10) | +2200 to win |
| Kevin Harvick (+625 top three, +320 top five, +140 top 10) | +2200 to win |
| Christopher Bell (+550 top three, +250 top five, +140 top 10) | +2500 to win |
| Martin Truex Jr. (+600 top three, +300 top five, +120 top 10) | +2500 to win |
| Tyler Reddick (+650 top three, +300 top five, +100 top 10) | +2500 to win |
| Aric Almirola (+600 top three, +350 top five, +120 top 10) | +2500 to win |
| Chase Briscoe (+800 top three, +350 top five, +140 top 10) | +2800 to win |
| Austin Dillon (+950 top three, +400 top five, +160 top 10) | +2800 to win |
| Ryan Preece (+1000 top three, +400 top five, +140 top 10) | +2800 to win |
| Erik Jones (+1000 top three, +325 top five, +160 top 10) | +3000 to win |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+1000 top three, +400 top five, +140 top 10) | +3000 to win |
| Chris Buescher (+1000 top three, +400 top five, +140 top 10) | +3000 to win |
| Michael McDowell (+1000 top three, +400 top five, +130 top 10) | +3500 to win |
| Daniel Suarez (+1200 top three, +400 top five, +140 top 10) | +4000 to win |
| Noah Gragson (+1400 top three, +450 top five, +240 top 10) | +4500 to win |
| Ty Gibbs (+1000 top three, +350 top five, +140 top 10) | +5000 to win |
| Jimmie Johnson (+1500 top three, +450 top five, +140 top 10) | +5000 to win |
| A.J. Allmendinger (+1500 top three, +450 top five, +180 top 10) | +5000 to win |
| Todd Gilliland (+1200 top three, +500 top five, +250 top 10) | +5000 to win |
| Harrison Burton (+1500 top three, +600 top five, +280 top 10) | +5000 to win |
| Justin Haley (+1700 top three, +500 top five, +170 top 10) | +6000 to win |
| Corey LaJoie (+2000 top three, +700 top five, +280 top 10) | +10000 to win |
| Zane Smith (+2200 top three, +600 top five, +350 top 10) | +12500 to win |
| Ty Dillon (+2200 top three, +800 top five, +140 top 10) | +15000 to win |
| Travis Pastrana (+3000 top three, +800 top five, +650 top 10) | +30000 to win |
| Riley Herbst (+3000 top three, +800 top five, +750 top 10) | +30000 to win |
| Conor Daly (+5000 top three, +1200 top five, +1200 top 10) | +50000 to win |
| Cody Ware (+15000 top three, +3000 top five, +1500 top 10) | +100000 to win |
| B.J. McLeod (+15000 top three, +3000 top five, +1500 top 10) | +100000 to win |
MORE THINGS: NASCAR 2023 Daytona 500 Date, Time, Location, Preview & Betting Odds
Overall, the 2023 Daytona 500 promises to be an exciting race with many drivers to watch. As always, anything can happen on race day, and fans can’t wait to see who will take the checkered flag.
