Boogity, boogity, boogity, let’s go racing at Daytona!

The best stock car drivers in the world will start their engines for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series with the Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway this Sunday.

All eyes will be on the highly anticipated debut of the new 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin and features Bubba Wallace as the driver.

Hamlin will have the opportunity to set a record of his own as he looks to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win three straight Daytona 500s.

Hamlin, who became just the fourth driver in series history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s last year, is the obvious betting favourite heading into this race.

Here is a closer look at the favourite, who’s next in line, and some sleeper picks to win the Daytona 500.

 

The Favourite

Denny Hamlin +850

While it’s impossible to ignore what Hamlin has done at Daytona over the past two years, it’s also important to acknowledge that no driver has ever won three straight Daytona 500s.

In fact, two of the previous three drivers that had a shot at stringing together three straight Daytona 500 wins didn’t even finish the race in their third attempt.

Can Hamlin buck that trend with a historic performance on Sunday?

In his last nine starts at this race, Hamlin has finished fourth or better seven different times.

Simply put, the fact that it has never been done before isn’t enough to overlook the potential for Hamlin to be the first.

There is no doubt about who should be the betting favourite to win this race.

 

Next In Line

Chase Elliott +1000

What’s in store for Elliott after becoming the third-youngest champion in Cup Series history?

While the 25-year-old appears primed to contend for another NASCAR title, it might make sense to temper expectations for Sunday’s race.

In five career Daytona 500 starts, Elliott has never finished higher than 14th, which he did in 2017.

Factor in that no defending series champion has ever won the Daytona 500 and it might actually make more sense to stay away from Elliott at such short odds this week.

Joey Logano +1200

Among active drivers, only Hamlin has a better average finish (12.4) at the Daytona 500 than Logano (14.3).

That said, Logano has finished outside of the top-24 in each of his past three starts at this track.

Will Logano’s recent struggles at Daytona continue?

Or is he due for a bounce-back performance in a race that he fared much better at earlier in his career? 

 

Sleeper Picks

Bubba Wallace +1500

With so much hype surrounding the debut of 23XI Racing, it feels inevitable that Wallace will deliver the best performance of his career at Daytona.

Wallace’s best finish over the past three seasons is a runner-up.

He delivered that result in the 2018 Daytona 500.

Can he improve on it this time around?

Four different drivers have won the Daytona 500 in their first-ever start with a new team.

Will Wallace follow suit?

Erik Jones +6000

A popular sleeper pick that could be relied on for top-10 finishes last season, Jones falls into that category again in the first race of 2021.

Jones has made eight Cup Series starts at Daytona in his career.

He’s finished in the top-10 in three of them, including a win here in 2018.

At 60-to-1 odds, Jones is a long shot pick that has the potential to surprise in the Daytona 500 this Sunday.

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