Find the best auto racing odds with our free NASCAR Daytona 500 betting preview and expert picks for the season’s opening race at the world-renowned Daytona International Speedway.
BetZillion brings you a free betting preview of the race, with the best 2022 NASCAR Daytona 500 betting odds and expert picks you should check out. So let’s not waste more time and see what our NASCAR wagering expert says about the upcoming race!
No matter which US sportsbook you visit, the offered betting odds to win the Daytona 500 will be pretty similar. The bookies consider only a few drivers to be the favourites and a handful of underdogs that might impress in the race.
Welcome offersLive streamingMany bonuses25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsThe 3-time Daytona 500 winner, Denny Hamlin, is priced as the favourite to kick off the 2022 NASCAR season with a win. That makes perfect sense, considering his dominant record on the track and the fact that Hamlin has won the Daytona 500 twice since the opening race of the 2019 season.
His overall record on the track is not too shabby either, seeing how Hamlin averages a 12.49 finish and has placed inside the top-5 in 4 of his last 6 starts, but he claimed pole position only twice since February 2018.
Nevertheless, very few drivers have been as dominant at Daytona as the 41-year-old NASCAR veteran, so it’s fair to assume he will do more than acceptable on Sunday. But while Hamlin is the man to beat in the Great American Race, the season’s opening race is known for upset results and unpredictable outcomes, so you shouldn’t be surprised if one of the outsiders ends up winning on the track.
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott, is priced as the second favourite to win the next race, and you can’t complain about the offered betting line. He is not the most experienced driver at Daytona (with only 12 starts), but he has done well here before.
Until August 2020, Elliott’s best finish at Daytona 500 was 14th in February 2017, but then something clicked, and he went on to claim 2 silver medals and an 8-place finish in the last race in August 2021.
Due to his poor placements in 2016-2020, Elliott’s average finish at Daytona is only 14.59, but if we look only at his last 3 starts, Elliott’s average shows 4.0. Even more impressive is that he has managed the 2 runner-up finishes despite starting the race in 27th and 12th, so he knows his way around the track.
Kyle Larson might be the outright favourite to win his second Cup Series title, but the 2022 NASCAR Daytona 500 odds to win the race have him tied in second with Elliott at 10/1. Although he is undeniably a considerable talent and a serious contender for his second NASCAR title, Larson hasn’t achieved much at Daytona in the past.
Across 15 starts, Larson has managed an average finish of 15.52. Furthermore, Larson has yet to win a Daytona 500 race, while his best placement was seventh in February 2019 and 2016, so it’s hard to imagine him winning this weekend.
Admittedly, he could do well in the NextGen cars and surprise many, but it’s hard to find a solid case for Larson to add him to our NASCAR Daytona 500 predictions for 2022. That is mainly due to his recent placements – having managed 20th, 10th, 20th, and 10th across the last 4 starts. Larson is not the best NASCAR bet you can make for the upcoming race.
The 2022 Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 20, at 14:30 local time (EST). The race will be held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, marking the first race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Billed as the Great American Race, the Daytona 500 is a NASCAR event no sports fan should miss – and you don’t have to. Although watching the game live from the track is not accessible to everyone, the race will be streamed on all significant sporting channels and live-streaming platforms.
If you have access to the auto racing sportsbook, you might even be able to watch the race via the bookie’s live stream. And if you don’t, the availability of the Daytona 500 live stream might incentivize you to register for one, and let’s not forget about the sign-up bet bonus you might be eligible for!
The Great American Race is known for many things, but most of all, it’s a race that is widely known as one of the most unpredictable on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. And this year will be no different.
Not only will the Daytona 500 be the first race of the new season, but it will also see the official debut of the NextGen cars that were introduced for the 2022 season and are arguably the most significant change the series has witnessed in its history. But despite all the question marks, we found a few drivers worthy of a bet.
Regarding statistics, Denny Hamlin is the man to beat at Daytona 500. He has 3 race wins, including back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, on top of 4 top-5s across 32 starts.
Betting on the favourite for the first race is somewhat risky, knowing how unpredictable the race will be with the new cars. Still, the new engines’ variance will affect all the drivers, so it’s only reasonable to work from the only constant we have – and that is past performance figures, where Hamlin is head and shoulders above his competition.
With an average finish of only 19.23 across eight starts, William Byron is by no means one of Daytona’s most consistent nor most successful drivers. But he won in August 2020 and was extremely solid in qualifiers in his last 2 trips to Daytona Beach.
Last year, he started both races in second place, and while he has done worse in this year’s qualifiers, Byron still secured a solid starting position (3rd). Admittedly, that doesn’t guarantee him success, but it does put him in a solid spot to chase glory.
Priced as high as 18/1, Bubba Wallace is an excellent pick at the offered betting odds. Note that he is not priced the same across all trusted bookies, so make sure you shop around for Wallace’s best odds to win the Daytona 500 in 2022.
If you can get him close to 18/1, Wallace is an excellent NASCAR bet to consider. Wallace has an average finish of 10.69 over 9 starts at Daytona and has placed second in August 2021. Admittedly, that was his only second top-5 finish since February 2018 (2nd), but we have to remember that the 28-year-old has consistently performed on tracks similar to Daytona International Speedway.
If you’ve been online betting on the Daytona 500, you should know that sometimes a dark horse will win the race, so it’s only fair that we add a bonus pick on a complete outsider we believe has a chance to impress.
You can find Ricky Stenhouse priced as high as 28/1 on Bovada and most other bookies, which seems a bit too high for someone who averages a 16.15 finish. Even though his past performances weren’t that great, Stenhouse won the race in 2017 and looked solid in the Clash at Daytona RC earlier this month, so you have to feel hopeful that the 34-year old can step up and impress.
A bet on Stenhouse on a top-10 finish can be considered as a solid alternative.
Prediction: Ricky Stenhouse to win – 28/1
That concludes our betting preview, providing you with four excellent betting tips. Before placing your wagers, make sure that you visit the best NASCAR bookies and find the best odds, so you get the most value from your bets!
