O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 betting preview: Who can catch Elliott?
Chase Elliott went scorched earth down the stretch of 2020, taking the checkered flag in three of his final five races en route to being crowned series champion. After coming up just short in the Daytona 500, it's no surprise the No. 9 car for Hendricks paces the field for the upcoming O'Reilly Auto Parts 253.
If this Sunday's race at Daytona International Speedway is anywhere close to last weekend's, NASCAR fans and bettors alike are in for a treat. Here, we'll dish out the full oddsboard and pick a couple of risers and fallers.
| Driver | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chase Elliott | +200 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +400 |
| Ryan Blaney | +500 |
| Denny Hamlin | +700 |
| Kyle Busch | +700 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +800 |
| Kevin Harvick | +800 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Alex Bowman | +1500 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1500 |
| Kyle Larson | +1500 |
| William Byron | +1500 |
| Kurt Busch | +1800 |
| Field - All other drivers | +2000 |
| Chase Briscoe | +2500 |
| Erik Jones | +3000 |
| Christopher Bell | +3500 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | +3500 |
| Tyler Reddick | +3500 |
| Aric Almirola | +4000 |
| Bubba Wallace | +4000 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +4000 |
| Austin Dillon | +4500 |
| Cole Custer | +4500 |
| Daniel Suarez | +4500 |
| Ross Chastain | +4500 |
| Ryan Newman | +4500 |
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Hamlin (+700) is a really nice investment. Though he came up short in his quest for a three-peat at the Daytona 500, he placed fifth and led 98 laps. Hamlin is also very comfortable on this course, logging four top-five finishes in his last five tries.
Allmendinger (+800) is making his first appearance in the Cup Series following a three-year hiatus, but he's intriguing off the bat. The 39-year-old vet has traditionally fared well at Daytona International Speedway, posting four straight top-10 finishes coming into the weekend.
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Logano (+1200) was in a prime position to record his first Daytona win last weekend before crashing on the final lap. That's been a common theme for the 30-year-old, whose aggression has landed him in three wrecks in as many tries on this course. Logano hasn't finished better than 12th here in four straight.
Keselowski (+1500) last won here in 2016 in the Coke Zero 400. Since then, he's struggled over the span of nine races: Keselowski's placed outside the top 10 in eight of them, largely due to a whopping seven crashes. He's led more than 30 laps just once.
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.