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2026 Daytona 500 odds, predictions, time, favorites, field: Picks from proven NASCAR model

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The NASCAR season officially takes the green flag on Sunday with the 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. William Byron enters as the two-time defending Daytona 500 champion, while Kyle Larson will begin his defense of the NASCAR season championship. Joey Logano, who will start in third at the ‘The Great American Race,’ is the co-favorite at +1000 alongside pole sitter Kyle Busch in the latest 2026 Daytona 500 odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, with Ryan Blaney right behind at +1100. 

Other top 2026 Daytona 500 contenders include Chase Elliott at +1200 and Denny Hamlin and back-to-back winner Williams Byron, both at +1300. The 200-lap race from the 2.5-mile asphalt track is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. ET. Before making any 2026 Daytona 500 picks or NASCAR predictions, you need to see the projected leaderboard from Mike McClure’s proven model.

New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $100 in bonus bets instantly at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins

McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action 10,000 times. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 29 winners since 2021 and hit 11 winners in 2025. Anyone following his NASCAR betting picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

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Now, McClure has turned his attention to the NASCAR season-opening Daytona 500. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine.

2026 NASCAR Daytona 500 predictions

For the 2026 NASCAR Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, McClure is fading Logano, who is the +1000 co-favorite. The model says he doesn’t even crack the top 5, making him a driver to avoid at this price. Logano hasn’t finished higher than fifth at Daytona since 2023, and he ranks 15th among active drivers in average finish position at this track, making him a driver to avoid at this price. 

Another surprise: The model is high on Kyle Larson, who is a +1700 longshot. Larson will start on Row 4 in the eighth position overall, next to No. 7 Austin Dillon. Larson historically hasn’t been great at Daytona, but with a NASCAR title and three wins last year, he’s a strong value at these longer odds. See which other drivers the model is backing at SportsLine.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your $5+ bet wins:

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How to make 2026 Daytona 500 picks

McClure is also high on a +2000 longshot, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who it is here.

So who wins the 2026 Daytona 500, and which massive longshot could stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 NASCAR Daytona 500 picks and best bets from a NASCAR insider, and find out.

2026 NASCAR Daytona 500 odds, lineup

See full NASCAR Daytona 500 picks at SportsLine

(Odds from FanDuel, subject to change)
Kyle Busch +1000
Joey Logano +1000
Ryan Blaney +1100
Chase Elliott +1200
Denny Hamlin +1300
William Byron +1300
Austin Cindric +1400
Kyle Larson +1700
Brad Keselowski +2000
Chase Briscoe +2000
Christopher Bell +2200
Alex Bowman +2200
Ryan Preece +2500
Bubba Wallace +2500
Chris Buescher +2500
Josh Berry +2500
Carson Hocevar +2700
Erik Jones +3000
Ross Chastain +3300
Connor Zilisch +3300
Tyler Reddick +3500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +3500
Ty Gibbs +4000
Daniel Suarez +4500
Austin Dillon +5000
Michael McDowell +5000
John Hunter Nemechek +5000
Justin Allgaier +5000
Jimmie Johnson +5500
Noah Gragson +6000
Todd Gilliland +6000
Zane Smith +6000
AJ Allmendinger +6000
Shane Van Gisbergen +7000
Ty Dillon +7000
Cole Custer +7000
Corey Heim +7000
Riley Herbst +7500
Cody Ware +12500
BJ McLeod +17500
Casey Mears +17500

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Beat the Streets rolls out to more UK locations

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By Kath Hudson    07 Mar 2026

Beat the Streets launches in five more locations this spring

Founded by Dr William Bird, it turns every journey into a game

Offering free participation, it has been proven to engage individuals from the most deprived communities

In 2025, social value was calculated at £321.80 per adult

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Beat the Streets has announced plans to launch in a number of new towns this spring.

Bloxwich launched in February and will be followed by Colchester on 11 March. Hendon and Grangetown; Penzance and St Austell will all launch later this month.  

Beat the Streets turns towns and cities into a giant game with friendly competition to see how far an individual or their team can walk, run or cycle around their community, turning every journey into a game.

First introduced near Reading in 2013, it has now reached two million adults and children in more than 200 places across the world. 

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It was the brainchild of Dr William Bird, who founded Intelligent Health in 2010 to create a world where every community is designed for health, and every individual has the agency and the environment to flourish. 

An analysis of nine programmes in 2024/25 showed that 40 per cent of registered participants came from the 20 per cent most deprived communities. Children from the most deprived areas (IMD 1–2), demonstrated a 7 per cent reduction in the proportion classified as less active and the rate of children achieving more than 60 minutes of daily activity increased by 8.4 percentage points. 

On average, programmes engage 12 per cent of the population and 68 per cent of adult players were women.

The social value was calculated at £321.80 per adult participant and extrapolated to 54,365 adult players this generated an estimated wellbeing value of around £17.5 million.

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The game is free for all players and for partners purchasing the programme for their area, the average cost to engage a participant was £12.73 in 2024/25.

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Free emblems, new cosmetics, and more

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Diablo 4 is collaborating with yet another major franchise in Season 12: Season of Slaughter. This time, the crossover is with Doom: The Dark Ages, bringing the Slayer’s aesthetic to Sanctuary through thematic rewards, premium cosmetics, and free emblems during a limited-time event.

This event will begin on March 11, 2026, at 10 am PT and is set to run until 10 am PT on March 18, 2026.


Everything we know about the Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration

Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

This crossover introduces the “most expansive earnable Reliquary yet” to Diablo 4 Season 12. During its run, players can battle enemies to earn Dark Ages Currency, a new currency tied to the Doom: The Dark Ages event.

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To earn Dark Ages Currency, players must slay Elite and Champion enemies. The currency can then be spent on Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the event reliquary.

The reliquary contains 10 unique transmogs inspired by the Doom Slayer’s arsenal. Each cosmetic costs 100x Dark Ages Currency. Examples include:

  • Shield Saw cosmetic skin
  • Doom Slayer’s Flail weapon cosmetic

These items give your character a Doom-inspired makeover, perfect for facing Sanctuary’s demons.

Once you have acquired all the rewards, you will be able to claim the bonus Forsaken Gates Town Portal.

Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Doom Chests: Boss drops

In addition to the reliquary rewards, players can earn loot by engaging bosses. Lair Bosses in Season 12 have a chance of dropping Doom Chests, which contain Unique items with Doom Crucible-themed transmogs. This provides players with special cosmetic versions of gear and an incentive to challenge high-tier bosses in the Season of Slaughter.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12: The strongest builds, based on PTR meta

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Free Doom: The Dark Ages emblems in Diablo 4 Season 12

Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard Entertainment is also giving away multiple free emblems during the event period via the in-game shop. You can claim them on the following dates and timings:

  • March 11, 12 pm PT – Dark Before the Dawn
  • March 13, 12 pm PT – Grandeur of the Gutted
  • March 15, 12 pm PT – Rip and Tear

These emblems are completely free; you only need to log in to the game in order to claim them.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12 PTR: Best builds for every class


Paid premium cosmetics

Alongside free rewards, you can also obtain optional paid cosmetics from the in-game shop starting from March 12, 2026, at 12 pm PT. The items include:

  • Doom Slayer Armor (cross-class armor set)
  • Mecha Dragon Serrat cat mount skin
  • Cacodemon pet

Blizzard has not yet confirmed the prices of these cosmetics. However, based on previous crossover cosmetics, they may range between $20 and $30 each.

Also read – D4 Lord of Hatred will bring back iconic crafting item from D2


The Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration will launch with Season 12: Season of Slaughter, which also introduces Bloodied Items, the Killstreak system, and the player ability to temporarily transform into The Butcher, complete with unique skills and gameplay mechanics.

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Players will also be able to check out the new Paladin Class (from the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion) up to level 25. With free reliquary items, Doom cosmetics, and a Paladin class trial, Season 12 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet in Diablo 4.

For more details on Diablo 4 Season 12, visit the game’s official website.

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