Coke Zero Sugar 400 Betting Preview

William Byron’s (278.515)  run of sub-par finishes ended at Watkins Glen, where he led the most laps, and captured every checkered flag, landing on Victory Lane for the fifth time this season.

The Watkins Glen win was Byron’s first finish above fourteenth place in the previous six races since Atlanta, while Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, A.J. Allmendinger, and Ty Gibbs completed the top five at Watkins Glen.

It’s fitting that NASCAR returns to oval racing for the final race before the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, racing under the lights at Daytona International Raceway, where a Ford or Chevrolet has won 13 of the previous 15 races.

The Dunkel Index has your final pre-playoff NASCAR betting insights in our Coke Zero Sugar 400 betting preview.

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Martin Truex Jr. +750

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DUNKEL'S TOP 10

The Top 10 drivers entering this event, according to the Dunkel Index:

Toyota’s Chances Lie With The Joe Gibbs Racing Trio

Toyota hasn’t won the Summer race at Daytona since Erik Jones’ win in 2018. However, with three drivers in the top four atop the 2023 Drivers’ standings, this could be the year Toyota returns to Victory Lane.  

Denny Hamlin (281.558) is second in the Drivers’ Standings and is coming off a second-place finish at Watkins Glen - his fourth top-three finish in the last five races. Since February 2020, Hamlin has one race win and three five and five top-ten finished at Daytona and will be in the mix for the race win.

Christopher Bell (280.977) is fourth in the Championship standings and finished third at the season-opening race at Daytona and at Watkins Glen last week, but hadn’t finished in the top five since winning on the dirt in Bristol.

Martin Truex Jr. (275.684) is looking to lock up the Regular Season Drivers’ Championship at Daytona, only having two top-ten finishes in the last seven races at Daytona. However, with three race wins and 15 top-ten finishes, Truex Jr. will be at the front of the grid and fighting for the win this weekend.

Will Daytona Become Ford’s Fourth Win in Five Races

While many will focus on the Team Penske duo of Ryan Blaney (285.102) and Joey Logano as the potential Fords to win, we’re focusing on RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski (281.406) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola (286.592).

Keselowski has four top-five finishes this season but has won the 2016 Summer race at Daytona, led the most laps, and won stage one of the 2023 season opener at Daytona.

Almirola won this race in 2014 but only had one top-five finish at Daytona in the previous seven races.

Team Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet’s Chance to Win

William Byron (278.515)

Byron won the Summer race at Daytona in 2020 and has the most race wins in the Cup Series this season, with four. 

Byron has one race win and two top-five finishes in his last 11 races at Daytona and is Chevrolet’s best chance to win this weekend. 

Chase Elliott (285.841)

Daytona is Elliott’s final chance to overcome missing six races due to injury and make the NASCAR Cup playoffs, and he’ll have to do it at a track he’s never won at. 

Elliott finished 38th in the season opener at Daytona and has two top-five and four top-ten finishes in 15 races at Daytona.

The Dunkel Index’s Pick to Win the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400

The Dunkel Index is taking Joe Gibbs Racings’ Martin Truex Jr. to end Toyota’s winning drought at the Summer in Daytona and win the Regular Season Championship in style by winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Keep up with your latest NASCAR news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.

All Media on this page by Associated Press.