Denny Hamlin Leads the Odds to Win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series paddock makes landfall at the Daytona International Speedway. It is the second time this season that the iconic superspeedway is hosting a NASCAR race. Normally, the first visit is to compete in the iconic Daytona 500, and fittingly, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is the regular season finale. In the build-up to the race though, who are the favorites to win? There are a number of candidates, ranging from Denny Hamlin to Kyle Larson to just about anyone on the grid.

With that being said, if one were to make a wager on the winner, who are the ones to back? The obvious candidates are the championship contenders, but others include in-form drivers and superspeedway experts. Some like Chase Elliott are coming into this race with everything on the line, while others have nothing to lose. So what do the oddsmakers say about the scenario?

Denny Hamlin

As reported by CBS Sports, Denny Hamlin tops the charts. He is a driver who has been in fine form in the past couple of races. Last weekend at Watkins Glen, he snatched pole position for the race, and went on to finish 2nd. Hamlin has also been fairly consistent this year, and he will be highly motivated than ever. Gunning for a maiden Cup Series title will obviously be the perfect source of motivation for any NASCAR star.

Chase Elliott

This truly is crunch time for Chase Elliott. The 2020 Cup Series champion is aware that this is his last chance to qualify for the Playoffs. Otherwise, he will have missed it for the first time in his Cup Series career. Admittedly, Elliott has never won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and his best finish is 2nd place in 2020. However, his current predicament could possibly fire him up, especially after last weekend’s debacle. That was when his car ran out of fuel, due to miscommunication between Elliott and his crew chief.

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Brad Keselowski

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Considering a driver of his caliber, Keselowski’s fine form really should not have come as a surprise. However, he failed to reach the Playoffs in 2022, missing them for the first time since 2010. This time though, he and teammate Chris Buescher are in excellent form, and they have brought Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing to great heights. The best part is that Keselowski has already qualified for the Playoffs, along with Kevin Harvick, so he is under no pressure.

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch seems to be undergoing a renaissance with Richard Childress Racing. Last year, he was just about scrounging for wins and somehow kept himself in Playoff contention. However, once he joined RCR, it was as if he had gained a new lease of life. He already has three wins under his belt, and has comfortably qualified for the Playoffs in 2023. In addition to that, he won the Coke Zero Sugar 400, back in 2008. To make matters even better, his current teammate Austin Dillon, won the race last year.

Bubba Wallace

This is do or die for 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace. The #23 driver enters this race occupying the final Playoff spot, so he will be under a lot of pressure. As a matter of fact, there are multiple drivers gunning for that final slot. Considering that Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski locked their berths already, Wallace has two options laid out in front of him, where he either wins the race or outscores his rivals and hopes that there is no new race winner at Daytona this weekend. Considering that Wallace has won at superspeedways before, he should be another favorite to win.

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