NASCAR Daytona 500 2011: Las Vegas Odds to Win & Top Five Picks

The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook has posted the odds for the 2011 Daytona 500 to be held February 20th, 2011. Daytona is always a great track to find some long odds on some great NASCAR restrictor plate drivers. The Daytona 500 and all restrictor plate races can be won by any driver on any day conceivably but team drivers do have an advantage.

It is best to get a bet in on the Daytona 500 before the drivers arrive in early February. Once the drivers arrive for the Bud Shootout things will become clear which team has done the most work on the attitude of their restrictor plate cars for the 2011 season and some drivers odds will plummet as the odds makers adjust for the improved teams.

Best Long Shot Drivers to win NASCAR Daytona 500

The two best long shot drivers to win the Daytona 500 are from completely different NASCAR programs. Brad Keselowski is switching over to the Penske Racing Miller Lite Dodge this season and his odds are currently 60-1 to win the Daytona 500. Meanwhile Martin Truex Jr is racing for Michael Waltrip Racing and is 30-1 to pull of his first Daytona 500 win.

Brad Keselowski has a list of reasons why he can pull off this feat for the Daytona 500. He is now hooked up with his NASCAR Nationwide crew chief Paul Wolfe. He and the Penske Racing Dodge team engineers have the sharpest minds in the NASCAR garage. They have been working on a strong showing in the Daytona 500 all off season and Keselowski is one of the better restrictor plate drivers on the NASCAR circuit. Take Brad Keselowski with a small play at 60-1 now before his odds plummet after the first Daytona practice.

Martin Truex Jr is 30-1 to win the Daytona 500 but he has a solid shot at making his way to the front at Daytona. Truex Jr and his MWR team are a smart restrictor plate team that will be starting with one of the better aerodynamic packages in the garage. Take Martin Truex Jr with a small play to win the Daytona 500 early before his price drops.

Best medium shot plays to win Daytona 500

Two medium shot drivers to consider placing a wager on will be Joey Logano at 20-1 and Kurt Busch at 15-1. Kurt Busch has pushed plenty of drivers to victories and good finishes in the Daytona 500 and Joey Logano is on one of the hottest teams in NASCAR, the Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Kurt Busch at 15-1 is a bit of a gamble because he is inevitably pushing the winner or a top five driver to the front at the end of the Daytona 500. Busch and the Penske Racing team have the best engineers in the garage and they have figured out restrictor plate dynamics over the last few years.

Ryan Newman is the only driver to give Roger Penske a win in the Daytona 500. Kurt Busch bump drafted Ryan Newman to victory on that day. Keselowski has a Talladega Cup win in his pocket but it was for another owner. Make a medium play on 15-1 shot Kurt Busch to win Daytona 500.

Joey Logano has improved through his young career and "Sliced Bread" may begin to live up to his name this season. Logano has two teammates that love to run up front during restrictor plate races and if he can position himself in the right spot Logano has a golden opportunity to win the Daytona 500. Take Joey Logano at 20-1 to win the Daytona 500.

Best Cover bet to win Daytona 500

A cover bet is a favorite that is 10-1 or less and if the favorite wins it will cover the other four bets. The Daytona 500 is one of the best tracks to find a good cover bet. Jimmie Johnson is available at 12-1 or Denny Hamlin also at 12-1.

The best cover bet for this race is Dale Earnhardt Jr. It sounds strange to pick Dale Earnhardt Jr to win anything in the last few years. Dale Jr is back in the groove at Daytona and his victory in the No.3 Wranglers tribute car shows he has what it takes on the two and a half mile superspeedway.

Dale Jr has a new crew chief and is now in the same garage with Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson. With crew chief Steve Latarte in Dale Jr's camp and the No. 48 and No.88 in the same garage this will be a huge boost for the struggling icon. Take Dale Earnhardt Jr at 12-1 to win the Daytona 500.

The following are the Las Vegas Hilton Superbook odds on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway February 20th, 2011.

Kevin Harvick 6-1.
Kyle Busch 8-1.
Tony Stewart 8-1.
Jamie McMurray 10-1.

Clint Bowyer 12-1.
Dale Earnhardt Jr 12-1.
Denny Hamlin 12-1.
Jimmie Johnson 12-1.
Jeff Gordon 12-1.

Carl Edwards 15-1.
Kurt Busch 15-1.
Juan Pablo Montoya 20-1.
Mark Martin 20-1.
Joey Logano 20-1.

Jeff Burton 25-1.
Field 25-1.
Matt Kenseth 30-1.
Kasey Kahne 30-1.
Greg Biffle 30-1.
David Ragan 30-1.
Ryan Newman 30-1.
David Reutimann 30-1.
Martin Truex Jr 30-1.
Paul Menard 30-1.

AJ Allmendinger 40-1.
Brad Keselowski 50-1.
Marco Ambrose 60-1.
Regan Smith 100-1.
Bobby Labonte 100-1
David Gilliland 1000-1.

Statistical sources:

Las Vegas Hilton Superbook Odds to Win Daytona 500
www.lasvegasinsideinfo.com

www.yahoosports.com

www.espn.go.com