MENU
NASCAR returns to Daytona for the second and final time in 2015, as the Coke Zero 400 tries to land a few more drivers in this year’s Sprint Cup Chase. Joe Lagano stole the first race on this track earlier in the year, Tony Stewart has dominated the event (four wins) and Kyle Busch won the last big race. With potential contenders coming from every angle, Sunday’s Coke Zero 400 is arguably the perfect race for this point of the auto racing year, as well as the Fourth of July weekend.
With all that said, there are some clear favorites and some interesting sleepers to track if you’re planning on doing any racing betting. Let’s break the Coke Zero 400 down and see who might be the best bet to win it all:
The Odds
Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the way with the best Coke Zero 400 odds (8/1 odds to win it all), as he’s been crushing it on this track and even won a race here in 2014. Earnhardt Jr. also won the pole and will start ahead of the other drivers. Earnhardt Jr. only has one win on the year, but the starting point and his success at this track make him a really solid bet. He’s not alone at the top, though, as Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon (10/1) have the next best odds, while Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Martin Treux Jr are all packed in with 12/1 odds.
Johnson is one of the top favorites, as he narrowly lost his last race and historically bounces back after tough losses. He’s also one of the best drivers in the pool and is on a track that plays to speed. That naturally makes him a great pick, as well as teammate Jeff Gordon. Logano is another favorite, as his lone 2015 victory came at this track earlier in the year and he’s steadily been on the rise. Busch just finished second place behind his brother in the most recent race, too, so he’s another guy NASCAR bettors will be considering when conducting betting this weekend.
The Sleepers
Casey Mears is the top sleeper for the Coke Zero 400 this year, and it’s not even close. He has the second best average finish (roughly 12th place) on this track (behind only Earnhardt Jr.) and also has awesome odds (75/1) if you’re chasing a steep return on your bet. If you’re looking for someone with better odds per the sports books, though, you’ll want to consider other sleepers like Austin Dillon (40/1 odds), Greg Biffle (40/1) and Ryan Newman (40/1 odds).
The Pick: Jeff Gordon
While all eyes are going to be on Jimmie Johnson rebounding or Dale Earnhardt Jr’s positioning (and average) pushing him to success, I’m taking Gordon. He has the most active wins on this track (six) and with this year being his career swan song, I think he’s a sneaky pick anytime there is enough logic to support him. The odds don’t hate that logic, either, since he’s right behind Earnhardt Jr. with 10/1 odds.
