2018 Daytona 500 Odds, Picks and Predictions: Daytona 500 Favorites

2018 Daytona 500 Odds, Picks and Predictions – Daytona 500 Favorites: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series officially kicks off this weekend with the 60th running of the Daytona 500. While it may be the season opener, it is also the most prestigious race of the year. Daytona International Speedway is hallowed ground in auto racing, and “The Great American Race” is the one race that every NASCAR driver wants to win.

From a betting standpoint, the Daytona 500 also happens to be one of the toughest races to predict. Daytona is one of two restrictor-plate tracks on the schedule, and while the plates control speeds and help keep cars from flying into the stands, they also create pack racing and lead to massive, multi-car wrecks.

Races at Daytona are more about survival and timing than pure speed, but as unpredictable as plate racing can be, plenty of big names still manage to win the Daytona 500. I’ll certainly be eyeing my share of longshots this weekend, but there are also some obvious favorites that deserve your attention.

Check out a closer look at all of my favorites for the 2018 Daytona 500. 

2018 Daytona 500 Odds, Picks and Predictions: Daytona 500 Favorites

The Favorites 

He kicked off Speedweeks with a victory in the Clash, and Brad Keselowski could solidify his status as one of the best plate racers in history with a Daytona 500 win. He already leads all active drivers with six restrictor-plate wins, and three of those wins have come in the last seven races. Keselowski has also led 30-plus laps five times in that stretch, and no driver seems to be able to get out front and stay there as well as he can right now.

Team Penske has been locked in at the plate tracks recently, and Joey Logano has developed into one of the best in the business. He has scored the third-most points in the last 10 plate races, finishing sixth or better six times. Logano has two wins over that span, and he is also the winner of the 2015 Daytona 500. Logano finished second in the Clash last weekend, and he should be right back in the mix for the win this Sunday.

He is the defending winner of the Daytona 500, and no driver has been more dependable at the plate tracks recently than Kurt Busch. His seven Top 10s in the last 10 plate races are the most of any driver, and his 12.0 average finish in that span is also tops in the series. Busch might not have a bunch of restrictor-plate wins, but he is one of the safest bets to be near the front, and it paid off in the form of a Daytona 500 win last year.

He already has a Daytona 500 win under his belt, and Denny Hamlin could add a second victory this weekend. Since 2015, no driver has scored more points at Daytona, and Hamlin also ranks in the Top 5 in driver points scored over the last 10 plate races. Hamlin is set to start on the front row this weekend, and he is on the short list of elite plate racers in the Cup Series these days.

There are only a handful of tracks where Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a legitimate threat to reach victory lane, but Daytona is definitely on the list. He won the July race at the track last year and won the spring race at Talladega. In addition to his two plate wins in 2017, Stenhouse has four Top 5s in the last six plate races overall. Stenhouse has emerged as one of the top plate drivers in the series, and a Daytona 500 win would cement his status as one of the elite at the superspeedways.

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