The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs start next week! 14 drivers are locked in, two spots remain. The season begins with Daytona, and the regular season ends with Daytona. After 400 miles and the checkered flag, the field for the 2025 playoffs will be set! Let’s jump into this week’s NASCAR picks, odds, and best bets for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Daytona International Speedway needs no introduction. It provides door to door bumper to bumper racing for every mile of the race. Big wrecks come along with it; some can be good for your bets, and some not so much. Some drivers are better than others at getting to the ends of these races than others. But nobody is immune to the “big one.” These are fun races to bet on; every longshot has a chance to win or get swept up in the big one. Bet with extra caution this week, and most importantly, have fun while you do it!
The playoff scenarios are easy. The 14 drivers with wins are locked into the playoffs. Any of the 22 other full-time drivers can steal a spot with a win. If there’s no new winner, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman make it in. If there is a new winner, Reddick or Bowman would get the last spot. Reddick enters Daytona with a 29-point cushion over Bowman. Don’t forget, this is another Saturday night race!
NASCAR Picks: Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Odds and Best Bets
Odds to Win: Coke Zero Sugar 400
Ryan Blaney +1000
Joey Logano +1000
Brad Keselowski +1200
Austin Cindric +1300
Kyle Busch +1400
Kyle Larson +1600
Chase Elliott +1600
William Byron +1700
Chris Buescher +1800
Bubba Wallace +2000
Alex Bowman +2000
Christopher Bell +2000
Denny Hamlin +2200
Ryan Preece +2200
Chase Briscoe +2500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +2500
Ross Chastain +3000
Tyler Reddick +3000
Michael McDowell +3000
Josh Berry +3500
Carson Hocevar +3500
Noah Gragson +4000
Ty Gibbs +4000
Daniel Suarez +4000
Erik Jones +4000
Todd Gilliland +5000
Austin Dillon +5000
Justin Haley +5500
John Hunter Nemechek +6000
AJ Allmendinger +6000
Zane Smith +6500
Austin Hill +6500
Cole Custer +6500
Ty Dillon +8000
Riley Herbst +8500
Shane van Gisbergen +15000
Cody Ware +35000
Casey Mears +50000
BJ McLeod +50000
Joey Gase +50000
William Byron Over Kyle Larson (-115)
I don’t typically go crazy on head-to-heads on drafting tracks because of the wreck factors, but I’m a bit shocked this matchup is even offered. In 51 career starts on drafting tracks in the Cup Series, Kyle Larson has only four career top-five finishes. I will give him credit that two of those have come this season, but he’s still never finished top five at Daytona. Add to that the “captain shook” moniker our Discord has given him ever since he attempted the double this season and hasn’t looked the same, I’ve never been more excited to bet against him.
— NASCAR Gambling Podcast (@NascarGambling) August 16, 2025
Now add in that his opponent in this matchup has won the last two Daytona 500s, has finished top three in three straight at Daytona and Talladega, and top eight in eight of the last nine at the two tracks. That makes this matchup even sweeter. Byron has consoled better than Larson in seven of the last nine races at these tracks. Byron is much more consistent at finishing well, and Larson just can’t seem to catch a break.
John Hunter Nemechek Top 10 Finish (+200)
Top 10 odds aren’t great this week, but John Hunter Nemechek is a guy I have my odds on. I gave him out as the Car Lift bet of the week on the NASCAR Gambling Podcast. In his 10 career starts at Daytona or Talladega, Nemechek has seven finishes inside the top 15. All five Daytona starts are top 15 finishes, including a fifth-place run in this year’s Daytona 500. I’m looking to take every bet on the board with Nemechek all the way up to him winning at 60/1. Maybe this consistent “there at the end” of Daytona races is the driver who upsets the apple cart and sneaks into the playoffs.
Austin Cindric Top 5 Finish (+225)
With the top 10 market watered down this week, Austin Cindric to finish top five caught my eye. As a driver who’s locked in, the pressure is off Saturday night for Cindric. One of the best drafting track racers can go out there and do his thing. He’s finished top eight in three of his seven starts in the NextGen era at Daytona. Winning the 2022 Daytona 500 and scoring finishes of third in the fall race here and eighth in this year’s Daytona 500. Cindric is another driver who often finds himself in the mix at the end of these races, and that makes him someone I want to bet on.
Carson Hocevar to Win (+3500)
Bring me the trophy, or bring me the steering wheel. This is what I expect out of Carson Hocevar this weekend. He isn’t afraid to let it all hang in the line, and that can go either way. I’m not interested in any other bet besides him to win. Because if he doesn’t win, he’ll probably wreck and take half the field with him. We saw him take it three wide going for the win at Atlanta this spring before a last-lap caution froze the field and robbed him of that chance. He finished sixth at Talladega and 10th at the second Atlanta race. He’s shown he can hang, now expect his aggression level to be maxed out and either win it all, or wreck it all.
More Racing Content
Be sure to tune into the NASCAR GAMBLING PODCAST for more bets for the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series, along with F1 and IndyCar bets, Underdog picks, DFS, and more! Join the Discord here.
