NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 odds and upset picks

NASCAR’s regular season will come to an end on Saturday night as the drivers head to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

Daytona’s well-earned reputation for unpredictable outcomes is reflected in Saturday’s race odds, as Denny Hamlin is the tepid favorite at +750 despite having won two of the last three races there. His playoff spot is well-secured, as he has six wins in 2020, including last Saturday’s score at Dover.

There are plenty of other drivers who are hungry for a victory. Here are our three longshot plays for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 from Daytona.

Kevin Harvick (+950)

Kevin Harvick has been see-sawing back and forth with Hamlin for the season lead in victories, and Harvick took the outright advantage back with his Cup Series-best seventh score of the year in Sunday’s race at Dover. Everyone else aside from Harvick and Hamlin are trying too, but it would not be shocking to see the No. 4 Ford back in victory lane on Saturday night.

Harvick has had some absolutely awful luck at Daytona of late, crashing in four of his last seven races there. However, he’s fifth among active drivers in driver rating (86.4) in that span. Harvick has also led 77 laps. He was a solid fifth in this year’s Daytona 500.

Harvick begins his day on the pole thanks to NASCAR’s recently-implemented formula for determining starting order from race-to-race.

Christopher Bell (+3000)

Christopher Bell was collected in a late wreck in his Cup Series debut at Daytona earlier this year, but bettors should be hopeful that his fortunes will improve this time around.

Bell tallied four straight Top 10 results (average finishing position of 3.75) in his previous four races on superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) in the Xfinity Series. He’ll begin his day in 23rd.

Chris Buescher (+3500)

Chris Buescher seldom threatens for the win from week-to-week, but Daytona is a different story.

Taking out his crash in 2019’s Daytona 500, Buescher’s average finishing position in his last six races here is 8.00. In fact, the No. 17 Ford driver was third in this year’s Daytona 500 and tallied a Top 10 in Stage 1 and 2. Buescher has been in decent form lately, with an average finishing position of 11.67 over his last three races. He’ll roll off the grid in 17th.