2021 Daytona 500 betting guide: Best bets, odds, picks, top predictions and long shots. By Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi Feb 14, 2021 22. Drivers that are given the least opportunity to win the race will be grouped into the “Field” odds and paid out accordingly if they win. Pennzoil 400 Odds to Win. 14 2021, the 2021 NASCAR season will head to Phoenix Raceway for the Instacart 500, which takes place from Avondale, Arizona.

1. Vegas Odds On Daytona 500
2. Betting Odds On Daytona 500 Picks
3. Who Is Favored To Win Daytona 500
4. Betting Odds On Daytona 500

May 20, 2020, Darlington, SC, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) during the Toyota 500. Mandatory Credit: Brynn Anderson/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network

The 2021 Daytona 500 will kick off a new NASCAR season on Sunday, when 40 drivers will try to make history with a win at the 63rd running of The Great American Race. Chase Elliott is only 25 years old, but he's made the NASCAR playoffs in each of his first five seasons, won 11 times in the last three years, and is coming off his first Cup championship. Now, he'll try to add a Daytona 500 crown to an already impressive resume when the green flag drops on NASCAR at Daytona 2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Elliott is 12th in the 2021 Daytona 500 starting lineup and listed at 10-1 in the 2021 Daytona 500 odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Two-time defending Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin will have a little more work to do since he's starting in 25th, but his superspeedway prowess means he's the 17-2 favorite in the 2021 NASCAR at Daytona odds. Before you scour the 2021 Daytona 500 starting lineup and make your NASCAR at Daytona predictions for the Great American Race, be sure to see the latest 2021 Daytona 500 picks from SportsLine's proven projection model.

Developed by daily Fantasy pro and SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, this proprietary NASCAR prediction computer model simulates every race 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as track history and recent results.

The model began the 2020 season paying out big by picking Denny Hamlin to win his second consecutive Daytona 500 at 10-1. The model also called Kevin Harvick's win at Atlanta and nailed a whopping nine top-10 finishers in that race. McClure then used the model to lock in a 10-1 bet on Hamlin for his win at Miami.

At The Brickyard, the model called Harvick's fourth victory of the season. Then during the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, the model nailed its picks in back-to-back races, calling Denny Hamlin to win at 17-2 at Talladega and Chase Elliott to win at 7-2 at the Charlotte Roval. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, his model simulated the 2021 NASCAR at Daytona race 10,000 times. Head to SportsLine to see the complete projected leaderboard for the 2021 Daytona 500.

Top 2021 Daytona 500 predictions

One surprise: the model is high on Aric Almirola, even though he's a 16-1 long shot in the latest NASCAR at Daytona odds 2021 from William Hill. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Almirola's confidence should be soaring after a win in the first 2021 Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona, which resulted in a second-row starting spot with inside position.

The 36-year-old has made the playoffs the last three seasons, while superspeedways have been the site of both of his NASCAR Cup Series victories. Almirola won the 2018 1000bulbs.com 500 at Talladega and the 2014 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Stewart-Haas Racing also has Kevin Harvick starting inside the top 10 (eighth), so look for Almirola and Harvick to link up early and climb the 2021 Daytona 500 leaderboard.

And a massive shocker: Chase Elliott, one of the top Vegas favorites at 10-1, stumbles big-time and doesn't even crack the top five. There are far better values in this loaded 2021 Daytona 500 lineup. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion is 12th in the 2021 Daytona 500 starting grid.

Elliott finished second at Daytona last August, but that was his first career top-10 finish in 10 starts at the track. In fact, he'd never finished higher than 14th at this iconic venue, and he's finished 17th or worse in his last three Daytona 500s. His low odds, combined with his lack of success at Daytona, make him one of the drivers to fade at the Daytona 500 2021.

How to make 2021 NASCAR at Daytona picks

The model is also targeting three other drivers with NASCAR at Daytona odds of 13-1 or longer to make a serious run at winning it all. Anyone who backs these drivers could hit it big. You can see all the NASCAR picks over at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2021 Daytona 500? And which long shots stun NASCAR? Check out the latest 2021 Daytona 500 odds below and then visit SportsLine now to see the full projected 2021 Daytona 500 leaderboard, all from the model that nailed Hamlin's win last season.

2021 Daytona 500 odds

Denny Hamlin 17-2

Chase Elliott 10-1

Joey Logano 11-1

Kyle Larson 11-1

Ryan Blaney 11-1

Brad Keselowski 12-1

William Byron 13-1

Video: NASCAR drivers return for 63rd Daytona 500 (NBC Sports)

Kevin Harvick 13-1

Alex Bowman 13-1

Kyle Busch 14-1

Martin Truex Jr. 15-1

Aric Almirola 16-1

Kurt Busch 22-1

Bubba Wallace 22-1

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 25-1

Christopher Bell 28-1

Austin Dillon 30-1

Ross Chastain 35-1

Matt DiBenedetto 35-1

Ryan Newman 40-1

Tyler Reddick 55-1

Cole Custer 60-1

Austin Cindric 60-1

Jamie McMurray 60-1

Erik Jones 60-1

Chris Buescher 65-1

Chase Briscoe 70-1

Daniel Suarez 100-1

Michael McDowell 100-1

David Ragan 125-1

Corey Lajoie 125-1

Ryan Preece 200-1

Anthony Alfredo 250-1

Kaz Grala 250-1

BJ McLeod 1000-1

Cody Ware 1000-1

Quin Houff 1000-1

Joey Gase 1000-1

Josh Bilicki 1000-1

Derrike Cope 2000-1

It’s time to make my predictions for the 2021 Daytona 500, which will hopefully help you make money on NASCAR’s classic race.

I’ll be looking at the odds for the Daytona 500, which goes down this Sunday, February 14, to see where the value is. Then, I’ll be looking at the likely winners before making my final 2021 Daytona 500 pick.

I already provided some early tips for betting on the 2021 Daytona 500, but there’s more information available now and I’m ready to predict the winner of the race.

let’s start by looking at the latest odds.

There are some crazy odds for the Daytona 500 in the list above.

Denny Hamlin is the favorite for the race, coming in at +800. Hamlin is aiming to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive ‘500s at this world-famous superspeedway.

Chase Elliott is tied with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney at +1000. Although the reigning Cup Series champion picked up a win at the Daytona Road Course in 2020, he had a patchy record at the superspeedway until finishing 2nd at last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Both Hamlin and Elliott are seeing a lot of action with the best betting sites for NASCAR. They are quite rightly among the top Daytona 500 odds, sure. But is there anyone else on this list that also deserves to be considered a favorite for the race?

Let’s find out.

If you’re looking to bet on the Daytona 500 for real money, familiarize yourself with the following trio.

These are the guys most likely to enter Victory Lane this Sunday.

Any NASCAR fan with knowledge of the biggest shocks over the years will know that making Daytona 500 predictions is difficult.

With that said, I believe that these are the best candidates for the job. One of these guys might be responsible for a lot of broken hearts this Valentine’s Day.

• Odds to Win: +800 (Favorite)
• Previous Daytona 500 Wins: 3
• Last Win at Daytona: 2020

You might think Hamlin’s odds to win the Daytona 500 are a little slim.

But given the fact that he’s chasing his third victory here in a row means that the bookies are hot on him. Winning this race is hard enough. Winning the “Great American Race” three times in a row seems highly unlikely.

In a race regarded for its inconsistency, Hamlin is looking to change the way we approach gambling on the Daytona 500.

Will Hamlin win for the third year in a row? I’ll answer that question a little later.

• Odds to Win: +1000
• Previous Daytona 500 Wins: 0
• Last Win at Daytona: 2020 (Road Course)

The reigning, defending NASCAR Cup Series champion comes in with Daytona 500 odds of +1000.

He might have no wins in this race, but he has a 2nd place finish in the last event held on the main track.

Vegas Odds On Daytona 500

And while it is not super relevant, Elliott winning the first race at the Daytona Road Course in 2020 is worth another mention.

Elliott’s average finish on this track is 16.11. If you are betting on NASCAR reguarly or religiously follow a NASCAR betting strategy, you’ll know how important it is to take form into the equation. But Chase Elliott’s odds for the 2021 Daytona 500 are spot on here. He has a big chance of winning this race.

• Odds to Win +1500
• Previous Daytona 500 Wins: 0
• Last Win at Daytona: 2021 (The Clash)

Busch’s sole points win at the Daytona superspeedway circuit came in the Coke Zero 400. But don’t rule him out when making your 2021 Daytona 500 betting picks.

He will be licking his lips at the chance to cause an upset at the first Cup Series race on the calendar.

The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion had a poor year, making a meek defense of his title in 2020. But he has started this year off by winning The Clash at Daytona. That’s a great sign for a driver that is super keen to impress this season.

Busch has never won the Daytona 500. He did, however, finish 2nd in 2019.

Other Drivers to Watch at the 2021 Daytona 500

The winner of the 2021 Daytona 500 is most likely to come from the top contenders I mentioned above.

But the following drivers could also be worth watching,

Larson makes his comeback to NASCAR in the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports.

Can “Yung Money” make you money on your Daytona 500 picks?

Byron, the winner of the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, is worth a couple of George Washingtons.

At odds of +1800, he is a little underpriced.

Wallace is racing for Michael Jordan’s new NASCAR team.

Denny Hamlin is a minority owner and will be mentoring Wallace. With the right equipment, as well as the advice of Hamlin, he could be up there with the best bets for the Daytona 500.

Who Wins the 2021 Daytona 500

• Denny Hamlin

It might not be the most profound advice to gamble on the Daytona 500 in 2021, but I would suggest backing Hamlin.

Betting Odds On Daytona 500 Picks

He has shown he is one of the best Daytona 500 drivers in history and is aiming for his fourth win in the illustrious race.

Not many drivers can boast the sublime skills of the man behind the wheel of the 11 Toyota Camry. He is arguably the greatest NASCAR driver in history never to win a title. He’s in the conversation, at the very least.

My prediction for the Daytona 500 is Hamlin fighting his way to the front late on and taking the win in a super exciting fashion.

Who Is Favored To Win Daytona 500

If odds of +800 don’t do it for you, you should check out my Daytona 500 sleepers, which feature value bets and longshots for Sunday’s NASCAR classic.

Betting Odds On Daytona 500

You can find more Daytona 500 betting content on the NASCAR blog section of this site. I’ll leave you with some of our popular content for the race!