The NASCAR season continues into the 26th race of the campaign, and the final race before the playoffs begin, as the grid heads to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Current Cup Series leader William Byron finished 12th in the last race in Richmond, while in the 2024 edition of this race, it was Harrison Burton who took the victory and crossed the chequered flag first. But he’s not even among the favorites this year. So who will be pushing for victory this season in his absence?
We’ll take a look ahead to the big race and provide you with our best free NASCAR betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash, while you enjoy the action on the track.
| NASCAR: Coke Zero Sugar 400 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Logano | +1000 | +975 | +1000 |
| Ryan Blaney | +1200 | +975 | +1000 |
| Austin Cindric | +1100 | +1150 | +1200 |
| Brad Keselowski | +1400 | +1175 | +1400 |
| Chase Elliott | +1200 | +1375 | +1600 |
Check out our best NASCAR betting sites here.
Below you’ll find a list of favorites to win the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 race.
Joey Logano has had a difficult season so far in 2025, with his sole victory coming in Texas, but he comes into this race having finished fourth last time out in Richmond. But while the reigning champion of the Cup Series knows how to win, he’s never once been victorious at this track.
This is the part of the season where victories begin to matter most, and Logano knows that better than most. As he looks to push towards a fourth world championship, his experience on super-speedway tracks will surely be a big factor this weekend, and is one of the reasons why he is among the favorites.
In the 2024 edition of this race, he finished in 31st position in what was a disappointing outing, and he’ll be desperate to put that right on this occasion. Outside of his previously mentioned win in Texas and fourth place finish last week, Logano has just three other finishes inside the top ten this season.
At odds of +1000 there is good value in backing the defending champion, but his performances this season make it difficult to be confident. Add to the fact he’s never won here, this feels more like a bet to avoid than to take.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
Ryan Blaney comes into this race in fifth place in the Drivers’ standings, and improved himself with a great showing last week in Richmond with third-place finish, although he will feel as though he should’ve got the win.
Now he looks to get his second win of the season with a victory in Daytona, where he claimed victory back in 2021. But his 2024 appearance didn’t quite go to plan, as he finished 29th. But his ability on a super-speedway track and his history of success here make him a very favorable bet.
Blaney claimed the Cup Series championship in 2023 and knows that this part of the season is where things begin to get serious. His performances in the campaign have been disappointing, with his only victory coming in Nashville. But he has regularly been in the mix, finishing on the podium on four separate occasions too, and finished in the top ten on 13 occasions.
He enters this race having finished in the top eight in each of his last five races this season, and at odds of +1200, there is excellent value for him to claim another win.
There’s a big feeling that Team Penske will be claiming victory this weekend, after Austin Cindric followed Blaney and Logano by finishing fifth in Richmond, giving the team three of the top five finishers.
Cindric’s season has been mixed so far, with his only victory coming at Talladega, but he has great success on the more iconic tracks, having also won the Daytona 500 earlier in his career too.
He consistently runs near the front of the track at the bigger races, but in 2024 he struggled in this race as he finished in 18th place. So far this season he has finished in the top ten on five separate occasions, including Richmond last week, and is in decent form.
A victory seems highly unlikely in fairness, considering he only has two victories in his career in the Cup Series. However, his first attempt at this rate saw him finish third, before finishing 37th and 18th in his two more recent attempts. The odds of +1200 seem too short as a result, and this seems more likely to fall flat, so it’s one to avoid at this price, but definitely take a look if it pushes out closer to the race.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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