Walsh: My Biggest NASCAR Bet for the 2019 Daytona 500

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Feb 14, 2019; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) leads the field to the checkered flag to win the Gander RV Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway.

  • Successfully betting on today's Daytona 500 (3:05 p.m. ET green flag, FOX) means taking advantage of available odds leading up to The Great American Race.
  • PJ Walsh offers his updated betting card, as well as his biggest bet for the 2019 Daytona 500.

I placed my first bet for the 2019 Daytona 500 back on Jan. 11 when I snagged Ryan Blaney at 20-1 to win The Great American Race. With odds available for more than a month now, I've also added more drivers to my card, doing my best to grab drivers at the peak of their value, therefore beating closing odds.

Here's a look at my Daytona 500 betting card, including the odds I got compared to current numbers from Westgate in Las Vegas:

Kevin Harvick: +1500 (Now: +800)
Ryan Blaney: +2000 (Now: +1200)
Kyle Busch: +2095 (Now: +1400)
Paul Menard: +3684 (Now: +2000)
Ryan Newman: +5500 (Now: +4000)
Matt DiBenedetto: +15000 (Now: +8000)
Michael McDowell: +20000 and +15000 (Now: +8000)

Overall, I'm extremely happy with my Daytona 500 bets, especially considering the current odds.

Does this mean I'm sure to have the winner? Absolutely not. But as bettors, we can't control what happens on the field, or in this case on the racetrack. All we can get do is get our money down with maximum value and hope we have the driver who crosses the finish line first.

Besides simply getting the best of the number, another huge advantage to beating the market so consistently is that I now have enough in my bankroll to add one more driver.

For the most part throughout this process, I've been picking off mid-range and long-shot drivers undervalued by odds at the time.

But now it's time to hammer a favorite. And because favorites have the worst payouts based on the odds, the following bet is my biggest for the 2019 Daytona 500.

Joey Logano (+850) to win the Daytona 500

When it comes to restrictor plate racing, there is nobody better than Logano. Joey has four career wins at plate tracks, including the most recent race at Talladega and the 2015 Daytona 500.



Logano has also been incredibly fast throughout Speedweeks this year, finishing third in the Advance Auto Parts Clash and winning his Gander RV Duel race. As a whole, the Fords have dominated since unloading in Daytona and the Penske Racing driver checks in as my top-ranked driver for today's race.

Give me Logano at +850 as my final bet for the 2019 Daytona 500.

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