One Super Bowl was held last week.
Another one arrives on Sunday.
Unlike some other sports, NASCAR’s biggest event is arguably the first one, when drivers descend on auto racing’s most storied track for the Daytona 500. The race will be broadcast at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox.
It’s a supercharged kickoff for the season, with all kinds of excitement, pageantry and betting mixing together to help us forget about football.
In this year’s event, Denny Hamlin is the favorite at +800 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. And one bettor has wagered $1,000 bucks on Bubba Wallace, giving him a chance at a $21,000 payout if Wallace captures the checkered flag.
But there’s a lot more available than just those bets. Let’s take a look at some of the NASCAR odds available at PA betting apps to get you ready for Sunday’s race.
Can he win again? Hamlin looks for third straight Daytona 500 win
Hamlin is the Daytona 500 favorite following two straight wins at Daytona in 2019 and 2020. He also has a win there in 2016, so a win Sunday would give him four total, tying Cale Yarborough for the second-most victories in this event. “The King” Richard Petty has the record with seven.
Hamlin is +800 at DraftKings Sportsbook and is drawing 15% of the wagers and 18% of the handle at DraftKings. Trailing him are Chase Elliott (+1000), Ryan Blaney (+1200), Joey Logano (+1200) and Kyle Busch (+1400). The rest of the top 10 follows:
- Kevin Harvick: +1400
- Brad Keselowski: +1400
- Aric Almirola: +1600
- Kyle Larson: +1600
- Alex Bowman/William Byron/Martin Truex Jr.: +1800
The betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook are available on the chart below.
DraftKings has pricing posted on the entire field and for top three finishes as well, giving bettors numerous options for Sunday’s race. There’s also a free-to-play $5K Daytona 500 pool with over 15,000 entrants and counting.
Interest high for Daytona 500
And over at William Hill, a few notable wagers have already been placed. A $3,000 bet has been placed on Byron at 17/1 (for a $54,000 total potential payout), Truex Jr. at 18/1 (for a $57,000 total potential payout) and Almirola at 18/1 (for a $57,000 total potential payout), promising plenty of excitement for whoever is holding those tickets.
Beyond those bets, the wagers have been steady for the entire field.
“Daytona 500 is our biggest handle for any NASCAR race by far,” said Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US. “Looks like Larson has the most tickets right now, then Elliott. Dollar-wise, Truex has the most and then Hamlin.”
Prop bets for Sunday’s race are also posted. And NASCAR futures for the 2021 season are also already available across Pennsylvania sportsbooks.
NASCAR starts with a bang
So even without football, Pennsylvania’s bettors will have plenty of options this weekend.
Most sports save their biggest event for the end. But not NASCAR. Their Super Bowl arrives on Sunday.
The engines will start. The green flag will wave.
And the season will begin with a bang.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/John Raoux
