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

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.

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:

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