2012 Coke Zero 400 Picks: Betting on Underdogs for Big Payoffs

2012 Coke Zero 400 Expert Picks – Betting on Underdogs for Big Payoffs: No track on the Cup Series schedule can really compare to Daytona when it comes to upsets. Last year alone, both races were won by drivers that had never won at Daytona. In fact, both drivers had never won a race in the Cup Series prior to their Daytona victories last year. Needless to say, this is one week when bettors need to back the underdogs. Every driver on the track has a 50-50 chance of getting caught up in a big wreck anyway. Bettors might as well gamble on a few drivers that offer a sizeable payout. Here are a few drivers that have what it takes to deliver a high-paying upset at Daytona this weekend.

While Paul Menard hasn’t exactly blossomed into a star since joining Richard Childress Racing, there is no denying that the organization has made him a better driver at the restrictor-plate tracks. Considering Menard was already a decent plate racer to begin with, bettors might want to take a chance on him and his 35/1 odds this weekend. After all, he has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts at Daytona, improving his result in each start. Last year, Menard finished eighth in the July race at the track, and he finished a career-best sixth in the Daytona 500 earlier this year. In that race, all three RCR cars finished seventh or better. The trend is certainly encouraging, and with the help of his RCR equipment and his teammates, Menard has a solid shot at scoring the upset win this weekend.

Although David Ragan is the defending winner of this weekend’s race, you wouldn’t know it by his 65/1 odds to win. His long odds have everything to do with the mediocre equipment he now drives at Front Row Motorsports and nothing to do with his talent as a plate racer. Yes, Ragan was driving for Roush Fenway Racing when he won at Daytona last July, but the power-sapping restrictor plates level the playing field between the powerhouse organizations and the underfunded ones. At least for this weekend, Ragan has a legitimate chance to compete with and upset the big names. He has already shown he can compete at the plate tracks with his new team, notching a top-10 finish at Talladega earlier this season. With his natural feel for the draft that he has displayed since his rookie year in the Cup Series, Ragan should have no trouble working his way into the mix Saturday night. From there, anything can happen at Daytona.

Bettors looking for a real dark horse might want to consider David Gilliland. His 125/1 odds may make it seem like he will be a non-factor Saturday night, but don’t forget, Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 in 2011 as a 250/1 longshot. Coincidentally, Gilliland finished third in that same race, and he followed it up with a solid 16th-place run last July at Daytona. Gilliland also has the added benefit of being a trusted drafting partner for guys like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch. Stewart alone has won the July race at Daytona three times, and Gilliland should have plenty of strong options looking to help him throughout the race. The fact that he is teammates with David Ragan should only help his chances, as well. The two underdogs will likely work together in the closing laps, and they might just have what it takes to engineer an upset.

Check out the latest 2012 Coke Zero 400 odds and predictions from NSAwins.com’s NASCAR handicapping expert Brian Polking!