
Author:
Jesse M Cox
Publish Date:
February 17, 2022
Experiences:
Chief Editor
Experiences:
Chief Editor
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The 64th running of the Daytona 500 kicks off the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series this Sunday at the Daytona International Speedway. According to many of the top sportsbooks Kyle Larson is a trendy choice to win considering a 10 win championship season in 2021. However, if you read on below I’ll explain why Larson isn’t your best bet, but why another driver might be.
I know Larson is one of the top favorites and currently has 11-1 odds from many sports betting sites. I know Larson is the reigning champ and was the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to have 10 wins and a championship in the same season. I know he led 2,581 laps and finished with an average place of 9.08.
I also know he’s never ran well at Daytona. This isn’t a small sample size either, Larson has 15 cups starts at the Great American Race and his best finish is sixth with his average finish at 21st. Not to mention there’s six instances where he didn’t even finish the race. I would avoid Larson to win or even to place in the top three.
Byron is definitely an underdog and is currently being given the sixth best odds to win at 15-1. Byron’s only had two Cup Series victories, but one was at the Daytona International Speedway in 2020 when he won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 after a second place finish in the event in 2019. He’s also taken a checkered flag in one of his two career Xfinity Series races on this track.
Is there any other sport where the odds on favorite who won this event three times since 2016 still only gets 9-1? That’s the thing about betting on racing, and especially Daytona, winners can be hard to predict.
Hamlin, though, is about as sure of a bet that you can find. He did have an off race last year, but still managed to finish in fifth. Richard Petty holds the record for Daytona wins at eight, but I think Hamlin will tie Cale Yarborough for second place with four. Combo Hamlin’s solid odds with one of our best sportsbook bonuses to really get a good payday.