Best Bets for the Daytona 500

The first real race of the NASCAR season is this Sunday when the Daytona 500 is run once again. The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s signature race. It’s also the race that probably means the least in terms of winning the Sprint Cup Championship.

Because of that, many of the drivers that NASCAR fans expect to do well in this year’s Sprint Cup Chase, namely Jimmie Johnson, probably won’t have their cars fine tuned for Daytona. That’s okay. When picking winners for a top three placing, the driver only has to finish in the top three. That means Jimmie has a shot.

Let’s analyze the best possible top three placing bet options in the BetUS sportsbook for this year’s Daytona 500.

Daytona 500 Top 3

1. Tony Stewart +400 - - I like Stewart to make a huge splash with his new team by winning the Daytona 500. Why wouldn’t I like him at nice odds to get into the Top 3? Smoke should have his car fine tuned for this race and nobody is as competitive on the track. I hope he’s lost some weight because those tires were dragging last season. Sorry, T, just calling it the way I see it.

2. Kurt Busch +500 - - The odds on Kurt is much better than those on his younger brother, Kyle, to finish in the Top 3. I like Kurt because he had a terrific run last season in the Daytona 500 and because he’s got the stones to prove to NASCAR that he’s the better Busch.

3. Jeff Gordon +225 - - There’s no respect lost for Gordon who needs to make an impact early this season if he expects to regain the excellent form he’s had for the past ten years. Gordon had a strangely off year in his last. He could come back this season. A Top 3 placing in the Daytona 500 would help.

4. Jeff Burton +700 - - I didn’t mention Burton in my picks to win article earlier this week. I should have. Burton was racing very well towards the end of last season as well as in the beginning. His luck turned during the middle. Burton could pull off a nice upset in this. At 7 to 1 to finish in the Top 3, I have to give him a shot.

5. Carl Edwards +350 - - Edwards was terrific early last season. He should be terrific again this season. With Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. getting all of the press, Edwards could easily be the top play of this field because of his odds. I like him big time.

6. Jimmie Johnson +225 - - Jimmie probably won’t have his car ready to win the Daytona 500 but try as I might, I can’t ignore the fact that he could easily finish in the Top 3. The machine could keep on rolling at Daytona.

Best Long Shots

Clint Bowyer +800 - - I like Bowyer as an outsider to win the Daytona 500. He’s driving better and better and his cars are getting better and better. He could pull a David Ragan upset for 2009.

Juan Pablo Montoya +1200 - - The odds are just too good to deny Montoya in this. 12 to 1 is much better than almost any other driver in the sportsbook. If Juan Pablo has learned anything, anything at all from last season, he could be on the verge of breaking out and becoming a NASCAR star.