NASCAR Sprint Cup
Race: Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Date: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015
Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
Broadcast: FOX
Another season of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing gets underway this Sunday with the running of the fabled Daytona 500 starting at 1 p.m. (ET) on FOX. NASCAR is the only sport that begins its season with its top event and this Sunday at Daytona International Speedway marks the 56th edition of the Great American Race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will look to become the first driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500’s since Sterlin Marlin in 1994 and 1995, while Kevin Harvick will be looking for a fast start in defense of his 2014 Sprint Cup title. The ‘best of the best’ will be going all out to win this race making it one of the most exciting events on the Sprint Cup series 36-race schedule.
The following are my top picks for favorite, contender and longshot based on current betting odds as provided by Bovada.
The Favorite (odd of less than 10/1)
There is only one driver in the field that fits into this category according to Bovada’s current betting odds with Dale Earnhardt Jr. listed as a 9/1 favorite to repeat as champion. It is as a good a pick as any given the No. 88 car’s recent success at this track. Last year’s victory in the Daytona 500 was Dale Jr’s second of his career after winning this race in 2004. His average finishing position as this track is a pedestrian 13.4, but he has finished in the top four in five of his last 10 Sprint Cup races here. It also helps that Junior is coming off one of the best seasons of his career with four victories to go along with eight other top-five finishes.
The Contender (odds from 10/1 to 19/1)
I have to go with Jeff Gordon as my top contender at 10/1 odds. He will obviously be a crowd favorite given that this will be his final fulltime season racing in the Sprint Cup series and he will have an automatic edge starting from the poll. The main reason I like the No. 24 car’s chances to take the checkered flag this Sunday is the team’s momentum from an excellent run all last season. Gordon finished sixth in the final Sprint Cup standings with a total of four victories on year and one of his 14 top-five finishes in that impressive run came in this race after taking fourth.
The Longshot (odds 20/1 or greater)
This race offers quite a bit a value for drivers with longer odds since anything can happen if you can simply stay on the lead lap down the stretch. Looking through Bovada’s list, I zeroed-in on Kasey Kahne. He was my longshot pick to win this season’s Sprint Cup title, so why not ride him at 25/1 odds to win in the first race of the year. The main reason this pick makes sense is the fact that the driver of the No. 5 car does know how to win Sprint Cup races. He may have only found the Winner’s Circle once last season, but since breaking into this series as a “rookie of the year’ in 2004, he has a grand total of 17 Sprint Cup victories in a point race.
