2011 Coke Zero 400 Picks: Betting on Underdogs for Big Payoffs

2011 Coke Zero 400 Expert Picks: Betting on Underdogs for Big Payoffs – How to Bet on the Coke Zero 400: Years from now, the 2011 Daytona 500 will be looked back on as one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. Making just his second career Cup Series start, rookie Trevor Bayne ended his Daytona debut with a trip to Victory Lane. It was hardly the first upset the 2.5-mile track has seen, and bettors should definitely consider backing a few dark horse candidates this weekend. After all, nothing levels the playing feel more than the horse power zapping restrictor plates used at Daytona.

Trevor Bayne’s surprising victory in the Daytona 500 masked what was an otherwise breakout performance by Regan Smith. He actually led more laps than Bayne, and even though he was caught up in a wreck during the final laps, Smith was still able to recover to finish in the top 10. More importantly, he compiled the top driver rating during the race, meaning Smith had arguably the best car for a majority of the race.

While the end result is ultimately all that matters, the fact that Smith was as stout as any driver at Daytona in February bodes well for his chances this weekend. At 50/1 odds, bettors have to at least consider backing Smith. After all, he already pulled off a huge upset this season when he won at Darlington, and he would have won a plate race in 2008 at Talladega if not for a questionable penalty. Smith will have a fast car, and that’s all it takes to spring an upset at Daytona.

Speaking of the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, Trevor Bayne is fully recovered from an insect bite and back behind the wheel just in time to go for the season sweep. Maybe his win in the season opener was a fluke, but at 35/1 odds, bettors might to gamble that it wasn’t. After all, Jeff Gordon told everyone before the Daytona 500 that he thought Bayne was a natural at plate racing after working with the young driver in practice.

Another selling point for Bayne is that he has more than talent on his side. Although he drives for Wood Brothers Racing, he actually has Roush Fenway Racing equipment. The RFR organization has been one of the top programs at plate tracks for years, helping Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth get to Victory Lane at Daytona and Carl Edwards finish in the top 10 in his last four starts at the track. Even David Ragan has been a force at the plate tracks. In other words, Bayne is behind the wheel of one of the better cars on the track. He may be an underdog in terms of experience, but that’s about the only reason.

View the most current 2011 Coke Zero 400 Odds for the Coke Zero 400 this Saturday, July 2nd.