2026 Daytona 500 odds, picks: NASCAR projected leaderboard from proven model

The 2026 Daytona 500 unfolds on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET as the NASCAR season officially gets underway. William Byron is the defending Daytona 500 champion, while Kyle Larson won the NASCAR championship last season. 

The early 2026 Daytona 500 odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list Joey Logano as the +1000 favorite, with and Ryan Blaney close behind at +1100, followed by Austin Cindric at +1300 and Chase Elliott at +1400. 

Before making any 2026 Daytona 500 picks or NASCAR predictions, you need to see what auto racing insider Mike McClure has to say.

McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every lap of NASCAR action, taking factors such as matchups and statistical trends into account. 

All told, the model has nailed a whopping 29 winners since 2021 and hit 11 winners in 2025! Anyone who followed its lead on those NASCAR picks could have seen HUGE returns.

For the NASCAR at Daytona, the model is fading Logano, the favorite at +1000, saying he finishes outside the top 5. Another surprise: Kyle Busch (+2200) makes a strong run at the title. 

The model has identified two other longshots of +2000 or higher as top-10 contenders, potentially netting any backer a huge payday!

So who wins the 2026 Daytona 500, and which massive longshot could stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the picks and best bets from a NASCAR model that nailed 11 winners last year, and find out!