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Hamlin to Shine at Daytona

Coke Zero Sugar 400 Marks Regular-Season Finale for NASCAR

The NASCAR Cup Series regular season will come to a close on Sunday with the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400. It will mark an important race for all the involved drivers as they look to finish the season strong and enter the playoffs in hot form.

The final races of the regular season always produce exciting moments and it doesn’t get better than to finish on a superspeedway. Most importantly, however, the final races of the season offer plenty of betting opportunities, some of which we will explore in the NASCAR Cup Series online betting preview for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Denny Hamlin leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400
Logan Riely/Getty Images/AFP

All Eyes on Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin travels to Daytona International Speedway as the man to beat, priced at +600 on the NASCAR outright betting market. That might seem weird considering he has yet to win a race this season. However, longtime NASCAR fans will know what’s up.

There are many reasons to like Hamlin ahead of the weekend race, the biggest one being his success at this track. The 40-year-old has 31 starts in Daytona, and while he wasn’t too impressive in the early 2000s, Hamlin has emerged as one of the most consistent drivers at the track in recent years.

Although his career average (16.0) at Daytona isn’t too exciting, Hamlin has won here three times since 2016 and has not finished worse than fifth in his last three starts. That includes a win in the 2020 Daytona 500, a third-place finish at the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400 and a fifth-place finish earlier this year.

“We’ll just try to get every point that we can and go for the win,” said Hamlin.

His previous success on the track, combined with the fact he will want to win his first race of the season, are two good reasons to keep an eye on Hamlin as he chases his fourth crown at Daytona.

Elliott, Wallace Could Impress

Even though Hamlin is the powerhouse at Daytona, that doesn’t mean other drivers won’t stand a chance to round up the regular season with a W. Two names you should watch out for as live underdogs are Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace.

Elliott is priced as high as +1400 to win on Sunday, which seems a bit high. Even though Elliott’s only two wins on the season have come at road courses, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion has been competitive elsewhere.

He has secured a top-10 finish in his last three starts and has placed runner-up at this year’s Daytona 500, which should indicate how good Elliott can be. What’s more, the reigning champion has back-to-back silver medals at Daytona and you can be sure another strong finish is on the cards for this weekend.

Wallace might not get the same recognition as Elliott and he is definitely not one of the main candidates to win Sunday’s race. However, he has done well at this track before.

In eight career starts, Wallace has managed two top-five finishes, which includes a runner-up performance in the 2018 Daytona 500 and a fifth-place finish in the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400. While Wallace’s showings over the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season were anything but spectacular, he has had some flashes of greatness where he has proven that he can be competitive.

Predictions

If you’re looking for a safe pick at great odds, look no further than Hamlin. Although he has already earned his spot in the playoffs, the 40-year-old NASCAR star surely won’t want to end this year’s campaign without a win.

Hamlin is the only driver in the top 10 of the NASCAR standings without a win, and while he hasn’t been able to find victory lane yet, he has been very consistent with stage wins, top-5,and top-10 finishes. Leave it to the final race of the season for Hamlin to pick up his first W.

Since this is Daytona, it only makes sense to bet on an outsider. Siding with Wallace might seem a bit too optimistic. However, he has finished top-five at Daytona before, and what’s even more impressive is that he managed it despite starting the race from 21st.

We also have to consider that Wallace needs to win on Sunday to make the playoffs. At +2800, Wallace is a longshot online bet, but we’re ready to take a shot with him and celebrate him clinching a chance at the championship with a fatter wallet.

Pick: Denny Hamlin to win (+600)

Pick: Bubba Wallace to win (+2800)

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