What’s not to like about JGR in the short Saturday night special format? They’ve got thing things figured out at Daytona, winning three of the past four Sprint Unlimited’s. It’s the longer race the following week that has somehow eluded them.

“Yeah, it seems like we’ve won just about everything under the sun when it comes to those exhibition races or the duel races or the unlimiteds, and we just haven’t won the 500.” Denny Hamlin said two weeks ago during a teleconference. “It’s coming. I mean, we know that it’s bound to happen. We’ve had a lot of guys in position to win over the last 10 years since I’ve been there. I think we’ve finished in the top 5 three of the last four or five races, something like that.”

MORE: Dale Jr.’s greatest accomplishments | 2016 Cup schedule | Top 16 in 2016 

It’s actually sixth or better for Hamlin in his past four points-paying Daytona starts (3.75 average finish), including runner-up in the 2014 Daytona 500. The week before the runner-up he won the Sprint Unlimited for the second time in his career. If you look at the Westgate odds board this week, Hamlin is sitting at fat 15-to-1, which we consider as the top value of the week. But all the Gibbs drivers offer value, including their unofficial teammate Martin Truex Jr. (15-1), whose Furniture Row No. 78 will now essentially be a JGR Toyota — they’ll be using actual 2015 JGR race used chassis.

Reigning Cup champion Kyle Busch won the Sprint Unlimited in 2012 and is 10-to-1 Saturday night. His crew chief from that race, Dave Rogers, has switched over from Hamlin’s team to Carl Edwards for 2016 and Edwards is ready to roll.

“I’ve gotten a chance to get to know Dave Rogers over the off-season,” said Edwards. “I’m really excited to go racing with him and my new A-team. The Sprint Unlimited is really a great way to start the season. We get to shake the cobwebs off and go have a good time. We’ve got AARIS on the car and we’d love to get them to Victory Lane. I’ve never been to Victory Lane in the Cup Series at Daytona, so it would be really exciting for me. I’m ready to go racing. It’s my second year at JGR. We had a great first year and I’m excited to build on it. Basically, it’s just a fun race this weekend and a good time. It’ll be a blast!”

What to know: Gibbs | Hendrick | SH | Penske | Childress | Ganassi | Furniture Row | Roush Fenway | Petty

Edwards is 15-to-1 to win on Saturday while last years winner, Matt Kenseth, is 10-to-1. Kenseth has won the Daytona 500 twice over his career (2009, 2012). Under the Sprint Unlimited format, he doesn’t hold anything back.

“The goal of the Sprint Unlimited is to go out and win the race since there’s no points consequences,” Kenseth said, “so I feel like we typically take more risk in that race as far as making a move that might or might not work to try and get into position to get some folks to go with you in order to go for the win.”

The great thing about the Sprint Unlimited is that the drivers have to get after it quick, move to the front and maintain position because the race is over in an instant. No laying back in this one. The JGR drivers have been a little better than everyone else at this lately and they’ll all be eager to help each other in the draft.

Now just because we like a Joe Gibbs driver to win again this week, it doesn’t mean we don’t like Earnhardt Jr or another Hendrick Motorsports driver. We just like the JGR odds value better, and you’re certainly not going to get any with Junior in a plate race because the sports books know the public is going to bet him more than anyone else. He’s won the Sprint Unlimited twice — none since 2008 — and won two of the four plate races last season. What’s not to like, except his odds?

If looking back at the past four points races at Daytona, which are still applicable because not much has changed with the plate package (10 more horsepower in 2016), Hendrick drivers have led 367 of the 721 laps run, including two wins. Jimmie Johnson swept Daytona the year before in 2013 and he’s 8-to-1 Saturday night just below Junior on the odds board.

MORE: Daytona 500 winners | Best races | Dates, times, TV

The best long shot on the board might be Austin Dillon at 25-to-1. We saw that famous No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet win the Unlmited/Shootout/Clash six times when the late Dale Earnhardt was driving it. And then we saw Kevin Harvick win three times (2009, 2010, 2013) after taking over the car in 2001. Dillon has shown an amazing bit of patience in plate races during his short time in the series with an 8.75 average finish in his past four Daytona starts.

“My team and I are ready for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season to start,” said Dillon. “We’re heading into the Sprint Unlimited with the mindset that we’re going to win. It’s a really cool race with a lot of prestige and I enjoyed last year’s event. It’s a fan’s race. It’s a race that’s fun for the fans to watch and fun for the drivers to race in.”

Enjoy the race everyone, and best of luck with your wagers! Here’s a look at the odds from the Westgate:

Sprint Unlimited betting odds  

DALE EARNHARDT JR 6 JIMMIE JOHNSON 8 MATT KENSETH 10 JOEY LOGANO 10 KEVIN HARVICK 10 KYLE BUSCH 10 DENNY HAMLIN 15 KURT BUSCH 15 KASEY KAHNE 15 CARL EDWARDS 15 BRAD KESELOWSKI 12 MARTIN TRUEX JR 15 AUSTIN DILLON 25 TONY STEWART xxxx GREG BIFFLE 30 JAMIE McMURRAY 25 RYAN NEWMAN 30 PAUL MENARD 30 CLINT BOWYER 20 AJ ALLMENDINGER 60 DANICA PATRICK  50 ARIC ALMIROLA 50 KYLE LARSON 25 CASEY MEARS 60 RICKY STENHOUSE JR 60

Sprint Unlimited betting matchups 

DALE EARNHARDT JR -135 MATT KENSETH +115   JIMMIE JOHNSON -125 KEVIN HARVICK +105   JOEY LOGANO -110 KYLE BUSCH -110   DENNY HAMLIN -110 BRAD KESELOWSKI -110   CARL EDWARDS -110 KASEY KAHNE -110   KURT BUSCH -110 MARTIN TRUEX JR -110   AUSTIN DILLON -120 PAUL MENARD EVEN   CLINT BOWYER -110 JAMIE McMURRAY -110   ARIC ALMIROLA -120 RICKY STENHOUSE JR EVEN   KYLE LARSON -125 DANICA PATRICK +105

Driver quotes from team press releases sent this week unless stated otherwise.