NASCAR Trucks Series NextEra Energy 250 Prediction, Race Preview, Live Stream, Odds and Picks
Race Headlines Friday at Speedweek
New Season, Same Story?
Speedweek at Daytona is NASCAR’s annual official start to the season and is a weeklong tribute to all things American Motorsports. While the NASCAR Cup Series Duels and Daytona headline Thursday night, the Truck Series continues the party from Thursday night, taking over Friday and culminating with the NextEra 250.
While Speedweek signals a new season, will we see a similar story develop as the past two seasons with Smith and 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ben Rhodes battling for the series championship and finishing in the top two spots for the third consecutive time?
Let’s check the latest NASCAR news, stats, injury reports, and NASCAR lines for NASCAR Trucks Series NextEra Energy 250. We’ve got plenty of NASCAR picks for you to consider.
Also check on these Nascar betting lines.
Will Reigning Champ Go Back-to-Back?
Front Row Motorsports Zane Smith (+1000) is the reigning NASCAR Truck Series Champion, finally breaking through after runner-up finishes the two previous seasons to claim the series championship.
Smith prevented ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes from being the first repeat champion since Matt Crafton in 2013-2014. Smith will be looking to follow the same path to the NASCAR Truck Series Championship by winning the NextEra 250 for a second straight time and starting his season with a win during Speedweek.
For people betting online, Smith is the second favorite behind Chase Elliot (+600) to win the NextEra 250 and repeat as Truck Series Champion in 2023.
Crown Contenders
Rhodes is among the biggest challengers to Smith to win the NextEra 250. Rhodes (+1200) won the 2021 edition of this race on the way to the 2021 Truck Series Championship.
Rhodes’ ThorSport Racing teammate Ty Majeski (+1100) impressed in his first full season in the Truck Series, finishing fourth in the Championship and scoring wins at the UNOH 200 at Bristol and the Baptist Health 200.
You should pay attention to Majeski during practice and qualifying to see if he will live up to his growing hype coming into 2023.
McAnally-Hilgermann Racing’s Christian Eckes (+1400) and Halmar Friesen’s Stewart Friesen (+1400) are among the drivers who aren’t at the top of the favorites list who could break through this season, with both drivers having finished in the top eight the last one.
Can Chase Elliott Win Multiple Times?
Chase Elliott is among the betting favorites to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday. However, Elliott is also scheduled to run in the NextEra Energy 250.
Moreover, and maybe due to his name and competitive ride in the Cup Series, Elliott is the online sports betting favorite for Friday at +600 odds and could be a double-winner at Daytona when Speedweek is over.
However, we’d be wary of taking Elliott in to win the NextEra 250 as he will be driving a lot during Speedweek, and fatigue could factor into Friday night in a way that it won’t on Sunday for the Daytona 500.
NASCAR Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 Race Information
- Race: NASCAR Truck Series: NextEra Energy 250 – 100 laps (250 miles)
- Location: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Day/Time: Friday, Feb. 17th, 7:30 PM ET
- NASCAR Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 Live Stream: NBCSports.com
NASCAR Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 Betting Lines
| ODDS TO WIN TRUCK SERIES NEXTERA ENERGY 250 | MONEYLINE |
| Chase Elliott | +600 |
| Zane Smith | +1000 |
| Ty Majeski | +1100 |
| Grant Enfinger | +1100 |
| Corey Heim | +1100 |
| Ben Rhodes | +1200 |
| Corey Lajoie | +1200 |
| Stewart Friesen | +1400 |
| Christian Eckes | +1400 |
| Carson Hocevar | +1400 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | +1600 |
| Parker Kligerman | +2000 |
The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.
NASCAR Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 Picks and Prediction
Part of preparing for any race weekend is research. We highly recommend watching practice and qualifying to get the best insight into the first race of the season before making your picks.
We don’t have much on-track info to make our predictions, putting a premium on the info we will get from practice and qualifying. However, ten regular Truck Series drivers could win.
Our sleeper pick: Tricon Garage’s Corey Heim (+1100). Heim competed in 16 races as a rookie and took home wins at the Fr8Auctions 208 and the Toyota 200. Heim could take the next step in his sophomore campaign and challenge for the win at the NextEra 250 and the Truck Series Championship.
Of the regular NASCAR Truck Series competitors, reigning Champion Zane Smith is one of the betting favorites on the NASCAR odds for this week. There is a group of three drivers, all listed at +1100, who all have a chance of winning on Friday Night: Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, and Corey Heim.
Our pick is to take Ty Majeski to start the season with a win at Daytona.
