The NASCAR season is finally here. We kick things off with the Daytona 500 this weekend. Oddsmakers are backing three time winner Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin is given +900 odds, or an implied 10% chance to win his fourth Daytona 500. That would tie him with Cale Yarborough for the second most all-time. Hamlin is expected to face some stiff competition though.
Chase Elliott is given +1100 odds, or an implied 8.1% chance. Then Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney are given +1200 odds, or a 7.7% chance. Rounding out the top-5 is reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson at +1300, or an implied 7.1% chance.
Last year’s winner, Michael McDowell, is given +6600 odds, or an implied 1.5% chance to defend his crown.
Quote from OddsChecker spokesman Kyle Newman, “Denny Hamlin is looking to become the second driver to win the Daytona 500 in the modern era. Only Richard Petty, who won the race 7 times, 4 after 1972, has done it. Even if you include every NASCAR era, Hamlin would still be only the 3rd four time winner ever. He’d do it by winning the race 3 times in a 4 year span, again only a feat that Petty has accomplished winning in 71, 73, and 74. He’s going to face some stiff competition, but Hamlin has a chance to make history.”
DAYTONA 500 WINNER ODDS
| Driver | Odds | Implied chance |
| Denny Hamlin | +900 | 10% |
| Chase Elliott | +1100 | 8.1% |
| Joey Logano | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Ryan Blaney | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Kyle Larson | +1300 | 7.1% |
| Kyle Busch | +1600 | 5.9% |
| William Byron | +1600 | 5.9% |
| Brad Keselwoski | +1800 | 5.3% |
| Kurt Busch | +1800 | 5.3% |
| Bubba Wallace | +2000 | 4.8% |
— OddsChecker —