There will be a 25 driver field with all the big names participating and perhaps the best thing about this race is that most of the also-rans have to sit it out, which keeps them out of the contenders’ way. To be eligible for the race, a driver must have won a pole last season, been a past Sprint Unlimited winner, won a past Daytona 500 pole, participated in last seasons Chase, or have the most driver points until 25 drivers have filled the lineup. It’s basically everyone within the top 25.
Two of the eligible participants are most likely out. Jeff Gordon retired at the end of 2015 and David Gililand doesn’t have a ride yet. The next two drivers in line to fill up the lineup, who currently have rides, would be Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne.
MORE: Daytona 500 betting preview
Because not a lot has been changed with the restrictor-plate setup from last season, other than a smaller plate that will net 10 more horsepower, we can expect more of the same from the past two seasons of racing at Daytona and Talladega, which of course is why Dale Earnhardt Jr. opens as the 6-to-1 favorite. Junior won two of the four plate races last season and won the Sprint Unlimited in 2003 and 2008. His father won this event a record six times.
Other drivers that continually fared well under the short Saturday night special format are three-time winner Kevin Harvick and two-time winner Denny Hamlin. Matt Kenseth won last season and Joey Logano won two of the four point plates that Junior didn’t win. Tony Stewart, in his farewell season, has won this event three times over his career. He’s also won a points race at Daytona three times, but never the Daytona 500.
This race is a great tool to jump start Daytona 500 wagering strategies. We’ll get a look at them in practice Friday and then the race on Saturday. Even though most will be using different chassis’ for this race and the Daytona 500, it’ll be a great barometer to see if last years restrictor-plate ratings on drivers still hold true.
MORE: Sprint Unlimited field
Here’s a look at the complete list of odds to win and driver match-ups posted at the Westgate:
Sprint Unlimited betting odds
Saturday, Feb. 13, 8:15 p.m. ET.
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 15 MARTIN TRUEX JR 15 AUSTIN DILLON 25 TONY STEWART 25 GREG BIFFLE 25 JAMIE McMURRAY 25 RYAN NEWMAN 30 PAUL MENARD 30 CLINT BOWYER 30 AJ ALLMENDINGER 50 DANICA PATRICK 40 ARIC ALMIROLA 40 KYLE LARSON 40 CASEY MEARS 50 RICKY STENHOUSE JR 50
Sprint Unlimited race matchup props
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 -120 DANICA PATRICK EVEN
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