1st Mar 1: William Byron won his first race of the 2021 NASCAR Season at the Dixie Vodka 400 this past weekend.Byron’s average odds have shortened from +4400 to +1900 after the win in Miami. The NASCAR Cup Series continues on Saturday with the 2020 FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Cup Series leader Kevin Harvick is the 3-1 favorite at William Hill and the race starts at 4 p.m. Former Vegas bookmaker Micah Roberts, who was the first to offer expanded NASCAR betting, now hands out NASCAR winners to his followers on SportsLine.

• Vegas Odds For Michigan Nascar Race
• Vegas Odds For Nascar Michigan Race Sunday
• Vegas Odds For Michigan Nascar

Picking a winner based on the odds for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN) is tricky since this is now a unique event. Not only is it NASCAR's first visit to the two-mile oval in the Irish Hills of Michigan this season, but the FireKeepers Casino 400 is now the first leg of a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader.

When the NASCAR Cup Series last visited this track in August of last year, Kevin Harvick cruised to a win after successfully stretching his final fuel run. That, combined with the series points leader's strong 2020 season thus far, is why Havick is considered the favorite for Saturday's race at Michigan.

MORE: Watch NASCAR live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Denny Hamlin finished second in that August race at Michigan last year, but only because Joey Logano gave up the position for a splash of fuel. Logano, of course, won the first of two Cup Series races at Michigan last season, so it's no surprise to see Logano and Hamlin behind Harvick on the odds board for Saturday.

Below are the complete Vegas odds to win Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan, plus our top three picks of drivers who could end up taking the checkered flag.

NASCAR odds to win at Michigan

Harvick is a familiar favorite atop the odds board in 2020, as only Hamlin (five) has more wins than Harvick's four victories this season. It doesn't hurt that Harvick cruised to victory in the late-summer race at Michigan last season.

Below are the complete odds to win Saturday's NASCAR race at Michigan, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Below are the top 10 driver ratings at Michigan among active racers:

1. Chase Elliott, 100.4
2. Matt Kenseth, 99.8
3. Kevin Harvick, 99.6
4. Joey Logano, 99.3
5. Brad Keselowski, 97.2
6. Jimmie Johnson, 92.6
7. Ryan Blaney, 92.2
8. Kurt Busch, 91.5
9. Denny Hamlin, 91.0
10. Kyle Busch, 89.3

Logano is on the pole for Saturday's race at Michigan based on the results of a random draw, which is great news for the No. 22 team. The top starting position is by far the most proficient in the field at Michigan, producing almost 22 percent of the Cup Series winners at the track.

The last driver to win at Michigan after staring on the pole? Logano, in this race last year.

Below is the breakdown of wins by starting position in the history of Cup racing (101 total races) at Michigan.

The top 10 starters for Saturday's race at Michigan (as determined by a random draw of the top 12 teams by owner points) are as follows:

1. Joey Logano
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Aric Almirola
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Alex Bowman
7. Kyle Busch
8. Chase Elliott
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Kurt Busch

MORE: Complete starting lineup for New Hampshire race

NASCAR at Michigan expert picks

(Driver loop data stats are from 2005-present)

1. Kevin Harvick

Career stats at Michigan:

• Three wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 10.300 (second-best)
• Average running position of 11.893 (sixth-best)
• Driver rating of 99.6 (third-best)

Harvick is tied with Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch for the most Cup Series starts (38) at Michigan, and he's tied with Logano and Busch for the most wins (three) at the track among active drivers. That experience, combined with his team's speed in 2020, should give him a good chance to notch victory No. 4 at the two-mile oval.

2. Chase Elliott

Career stats at Michigan:

• Three top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 7.625 (series-best)
• Average running position of 9.965 (series-best)
• Driver rating of 100.4 (series-best)

Elliott has not yet won at Michigan in his Cup Series career, but statistically speaking, he is the best driver in Saturday's field. Potentially helping his chance to win is the fact that the only comparable race thus far this season, the March 1 event at the similarly configured Auto Club Speedway, was won by Elliott's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Alex Bowman.

3. Joey Logano

Career stats at Michigan:

• Three wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s; four poles
• Average finish of 12.182 (fourth-best)
• Average running position of 11.471 (fourth-best)
• Driver rating of 99.3 (fourth-best)

Logano has an impressive resume at Michigan, and even though his teammates Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney are ahead of him in points this season, the driver of the No. 22 statistically is the best at this track among those in the Team Penske stable.

How do you read the 2021 Daytona 500 odds and turn a profit? But better yet – what is Daytona 500? Put simply, it’s the most important and widely-recognized race by far on the NASCAR circuit. It has the best history, it has all the top drivers, and it has the biggest purse.

Today, we have put together for your reading pleasure the ultimate Daytona 500 betting guide. Our team has gone the full distance, from providing you with an up-to-date list of odds to carefully examining the competition’s recent history. We offer you a chance to get the latest insight and turn them into actionable wagers.

2021 Daytona 500 Betting Odds

Daytona 500 is a challenging race to all motorsports fans, drivers, and especially bettors. Yet, the oddsmakers always make sure to give us a fair estimate. The following table displays an updated list of odd to win Daytona 500:

The race is strategically placed early on the NASCAR Cup Series when drivers still haven’t had enough time to cut their teeth nor fans quite tell which driver is more likely to outrace another.

When and Where Is 2021 Daytona 500 Taking Place?

• Date: Sunday, February 14, 2021
• Time: 2:30pm ET
• Location: Daytona International Speedway, Florida
• Event:The Great American Race

2021 Daytona 500 will take place on February 14, 2021 at 2:30pm ET at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. The event features 32 drivers who come from all backgrounds to lay claim on one of the largest events in the NASCAR circuit. Daytona 500 is the first official race in the circuit which features 36 events in total for 2021.

Where to Watch 2021 Daytona 500?

• TV: FOX
• Radio: MRN

For those who prefer to watch from home, you will be thrilled to know that FOX is streaming the event at 1 PM. Radio coverage will be provided by the Motor Racing Network.

Who Are the Favorites?

Without a single race out yet, analyzing the 2021 NASCAR series is a bit of a mystery, and yet – we do have last year’s results to keep us fairly optimistic about our predictions. The Great American Race is back and with it so are a number of ambitious young and established drivers.

Today we will take a look at some of our personal favorites and see if we can make a bet on Daytona. The odds to win the event are likely to keep changing, but not the track record of the hand-picked favorites who the sportsbooks agree with us are poised to add yet another title to their name.

Joey Logano No. 22 Ford Mustang

Without any doubt, Joey Logano is one of the hottest picks this season and why wouldn’t he be? Team Penske’s driver is in a good shape and he has been at it for over a decade now. Besides, the 2019 season definitely paned out quite alright with two wins in Las Vegas Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. He also managed to finish top-five on five different occasions throughout the season, making him one of the best drivers still in the race.

Brad Keselowski No. 2 Ford

Team Penske will definitely have a strong lineup of drivers in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, and not least of all in Daytona 500. Brad Keselowski may not have won a title in a while, but his performance has always rivaled those of the best. In 2019, he managed to conclude 13 top-five finishes and 19 top-tens. You might call him a bit of a wild card as is, but Keselowski is definitely one of the drivers to watch out for in February. He may yet surprise us all and push to the top.

Denny Hamlin Toyota No. 11

Team Penske won’t be taking the credit for Hamlin. Instead, we have Joe Gibbs Racing to thank for the talent of Hamlin. In fact, Denny is returning with one sole purpose – to defend his Daytona 500 title after winning in 2019. His feat was even more impressive given the fact that it had been his second win at Daytona in a three-year window. More importantly, he is the only driver after 2010 who has won the title twice, all the more reason to look forward a wacky return.

Chase Elliott No. 9

Chase Elliott is just as decent a driver as any of the contenders we have listed so far. His overall Cup Series standing last season was 10, but he did pull quite a few amazing drives. He finished top-five on 11 occasions and fell within the first ten finishers 15 times. True, Elliott has been susceptible to bad bouts here and there, but overall, he has done very well in keeping his career progressing. In fact, 2019 marked his best year to date. The big question is whether Elliott is going to build on that success or fall behind?

Vegas Odds For Michigan Nascar Race

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick is one of the biggest names that fans are looking forward to when it comes to Daytona. Harvick is a definitely a legend, bringing four wins in 2019. Even more impressively, he managed to pull off 362 top 10 finishes in 26 years on the race track and by this criterion alone, he’s almost at the top, second only to Jimmie Johnson. He won top-ten finishes in 20 races in 2019. He sealed New Hampshire Motor Speedway win, a speedway that is historically one of his personal favorites.

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch is another fan and oddsmakers’ favorite. To not consider Busch as a decent bet for Daytona is to not consider all your options at all. 2019 was particularly kind to him with Busch winning his second Cup Series title and he came very close to sealing Daytona 2019, coming second. Busch further won at Phoenix and Auto Club and managed to pull off 11 consecutive top 11 finishes, pointing to a driver who knows what he is doing. He blasted his way in the playoffs and kept steady at the top of the leaderboard throughout Round of 16, eventually pulling 15 points ahead of Denny Hamlin to seal the championship.

Ryan Blaney

For Ryan Blaney, an off-season just doesn’t seem an option. In 2019, the talented driver pulled off quite a few personal records and posted one of his strongest years in the Cup Series by far. Blaney quickly claimed 11 top fives and 18 top 10 finishers, with an average performance spread across the season at 13.7. He also managed to make it in the top 10 of each individual driver category, a recognition that truly highlights his talent.

He also started strongly early in the year, winning the Busch Pole Award, among other distinctions. During Round of 12 at Talladega, Blaney managed to outpace Ryan Newman by a hair-thin .007 seconds to the dismay of the audience. Just one of the many good performances of the year for sure. Blaney is without a doubt someone you will want to keep your eyes peeled for.

Alex Bowman

Alex Bowman is another name up high in the overall NASCAR standing, and there is a good reason for that. He finished 12^th and added a career-best year. He managed 12 top tens and proved that he can be consistent year in and year out, continuing to improve his standing and performance. Furthermore, he sealed seven top fives placing him on our list of strong picks for the upcoming Daytona 500 and Cup Series in general.

How Difficult Is It to Win the Great American Race?

Vegas Odds For Nascar Michigan Race Sunday

The format of the race is very grueling to experienced and new drivers together. A lot of factors come into play in determining who wins the 500-mile race and who even manages to cross the finishing line.

Drivers are expected to clock 200 laps and moderate their gas expenditure, keep car in a working condition all while trying to keep pace with other drivers equally decided to claim the $1.5 million prize purse for the first-place finisher. To put the challenges of the event in perspective, here are a few facts. Through 2015:

• Only 11 drivers have won 2 or more Daytona 500s
• Only 5 drivers have won 3 or more Daytona 500s
• Only 2 drivers have won 4 Daytona races
• Only 3 drivers have won 3 consecutive Daytona 500s

To put another way – Daytona 500 is pretty difficult to win because no matter how good the driver, there are technical hiccups to prepare for, and no matter how good the car, a driver could only go that far.

Daytona 500 Winners in the Last 10 Years

The most notable name in the past ten years is that of Denny Hamlin who has won twice and is by virtue of this feat and therefore perhaps capable of repeating his success for a third time. If he does, he will certainly make history. Here is a quick list of the last ten years’ winners:

About the Event

We have brushed a few strokes at the beginning explaining the magnitude of the event and further providing you with the data you would need to make an informed bet. Now, though, we are here to explain a little more, a little better.

Daytona 500 isn’t just another race on the circuit – it isn’t even treated as an inaugural race to get things started. It’s a ‘rude awakening’ to drivers and a challenge to anyone racing to shift into gear right away.

Compared to the Super Bowl, and rightly so, Daytona hold fascination upon fans. Some 170,000 fans flock to watch the event live over at Daytona Beach with tickets prices starting at $95. That is nothing, though, because viewership numbers see-saw between 9 and 12 million people.

Vegas Odds For Michigan Nascar

For all intents and purposes, Daytona 500 has gravity, it has pull, it has a legacy. It’s also the perfect testing ground for newcomers. Will the sons of their fathers make old-timers proud? Chase Elliott has certainly done his father, Bill Elliot, justice and has carried the family name with dignity and an evident talent for racing.

The race is important, as mentioned before, for its curious approach towards the overall racing format. While most other sports give participants time to adapt, the NASCAR Cup Series puts an immediate importance on Daytona.

For all drivers out there still trying to make a name for themselves, the importance of shining in that third week of February is crucial.

Daytona’s Looking Good

Daytona 500 is indeed looking good this year. It’s true that viewership has slumped a little in recent years, but this is no reason for concern whatsoever. With Denny Hamlin looking at a third title since 2010, a lot of eyeballs will be fixed on him. NASCAR has undertaken some changes to the scheduling and tracks to make sure that fans feel more engaged. This year’s Daytona 500 is the beginning of what organization sees as a long-term transition.

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