2014 Drive4COPD 300 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid: While the Daytona 500 gets most of the headlines, the Nationwide Series also gets going this weekend with a 300-mile race at Daytona Saturday afternoon. It may be more of an appetizer to the weekend’s main course, but there is nothing like a trip to Daytona to being out some of NASCAR’s bigger names. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch are among the Cup drivers pulling double duty this weekend, but at an unpredictable track like Daytona, the series regulars will have a great chance to pull off the upset, especially since defending race-winner Tony Stewart isn’t in the field.
The Favorites
He is one of the best in Nationwide Series history when it comes to winning at Daytona, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will try to add to his impressive resume at the track this weekend. He is a six-time winner at the track, and he has finished fourth or better in three of his last four starts at the track, including a fourth-place run in last year’s opener.
The all-time leader in Nationwide wins is a threat to add to his total whenever he gets behind the wheel, and Kyle Busch should be a factor at Daytona this weekend. In addition to his one victory at the track, and he has finished second on three other occasions. In his last 13 starts at Daytona, he has finished seventh or better eight times.
Although he only makes occasional starts in the Nationwide Series these days, Matt Kenseth is still plenty dangerous when he does get behind the wheel. At Daytona alone, he has posted a 9.0 average finish since the start of the 2004 season, winning at the track last July. Kenseth is a two-time winner at Daytona in the Nationwide Series overall, and a two-time Daytona 500 winner in the Cup Series.
The Dark Horses
No matter what series he races in, David Ragan seems to be able to make some noise at the plate tracks. He has won at Talladega in the Nationwide Series and at Daytona at Talladega in the Cup Series. More importantly, Ragan has finished in the top 10 in four of his last five Nationwide starts at Daytona.
Regan Smith returned to the Nationwide Series full time last year, and he was excellent at the plate tracks. Smith won at Talladega, and he finished in the top 15 in both starts at Daytona. Smith is back with a JR Motorsports team known for its plate program so there is no reason he shouldn’t remain a factor this weekend.
He is still looking for a plate track victory, but Elliott Sadler has been excellent at Daytona since returning to the Nationwide Series full time in 2011. He has reeled off five straight top-15s at the track, including three finishes of sixth or better in his last four starts. Sadler will also be teammates with favorites Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth this weekend so he will have excellent drafting partners to work with.
Sleeper Special
He is being billed as the next big thing in NASCAR, and Kyle Larson certainly made a solid first impression at Daytona as a rookie last year. He finished 13th in the season opener despite a spectacular last lap crash where his car ended up in the stands, and in the July race, he finished sixth. With a year of experience under his belt, Larson could be ready to challenge for a win at Daytona.
Big Name to Avoid
Although he has won the Daytona 500 in the Cup Series, Trevor Bayne has yet to have much success at Daytona on the Nationwide level. He has a disappointing 21.7 average finish in seven starts, and he has never finished better than 10th. Worse yet, he has four finishes outside the top 20 at the track.
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on the 2014 Drive4COPD 300 Odds! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN BOVADA Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get a 50% BONUS instantly FREE. |
Check the latest NASCAR Vegas Odds and Betting Lines from BOVADA below: