Daytona 500 Odds - 2009 NASCAR Daytona 500 Odds

The 2009 NASCAR season begins with Daytona 500 odds on Sunday at 2:00pm EST and will be televised by FOX. While the race is considered the most important one in the NASCAR betting season it is really just a restrictor plate, crashed filled mess. If you are looking to bet the big race there are some definite favorites but history has shown that anyone can win this race. Kevin Harvick won the Bud Shootout last week but he is not the favorite for the Daytona 500. The favorites in Daytona 500 odds are Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.

Pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. is not even considered one of the Daytona 500 favorites. Kyle Busch won the second of the Gatorade Duels to improve his position in 500 odds and he is a serious threat to win. He won at Daytona and Talladega last season, and his record (Top 4 in last three Daytona starts) is superb. The other Gatorade Duel winner was Jeff Gordon and he is always a threat to win in Daytona 500 betting odds. He seems more focused this year and could be a driver to watch all season. Tony Stewart was second in the first Gatorade Duel behind Gordon and is always a good restrictor plate racer. He has formed his own team and could start with a Daytona win. Stewart was third in last year’s race.

Teammate Ryan Newman won last year but it is rare that a driver wins back-to-back Daytona 500’s. Sterling Marlin was the last to accomplish the feat and that was 15 years ago. Last year’s NASCAR champion was Jimmie Johnson and he is always a threat to win. His teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the best restrictor plate drivers in history so he is among the favorites in Daytona 500 odds. Mark Martin is also now part of this team with Johnson, Gordon and Jr. and he has looked very good this week. There are some interesting longshots in 2009 Daytona 500 odds including Kurt Busch who is tied with Tony Stewart for the most Top 10 finishes at superspeedways in the last five years. He has never won but has finished third, second and fourth in his last three starts. Kasey Kahne has finished inside the top 10 in four straight races and is also an interesting longshot.