Denny Hamlin Emerges as Favorite for Daytona 500

William Byron loses top spot as three-time Daytona 500 winner Hamlin takes over as betting favorite for 2026 NASCAR season opener

Feb. 11, 2026 at 5:47am

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The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is about to kick off with the 68th Daytona 500, and the betting odds have shifted significantly. Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner of the Daytona 500, has taken the lead at DraftKings Sportsbook as the favorite to claim victory in the upcoming 200-lap Great American Race, overtaking William Byron who had been the top favorite.

Why it matters

The Daytona 500 is one of the most important and unpredictable events in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the shifting odds underscore the caution and uncertainty inherent in this high-stakes event, where past success offers no guarantee and each lap could change the trajectory of the campaign.

The details

Denny Hamlin, who has won the Daytona 500 in 2016, 2019, and 2020, is now the favorite to claim his fourth victory in the race, which would tie him with Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to have won the event more than three times. However, Hamlin's performances in recent years have been inconsistent, with his best finish since 2021 only reaching 17th place. William Byron, who had won consecutive Daytona 500 races and was on track to become the first driver to win three years in a row, now shares the second-favorite spot at +1000 odds along with Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports.

  • The 68th Daytona 500 is set to launch the 36-race 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule on Sunday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Denny Hamlin

A three-time winner of the Daytona 500, Hamlin is now the favorite to claim his fourth victory in the race, which would tie him with Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to have won the event more than three times.

William Byron

The driver who had won consecutive Daytona 500 races and was on track to become the first driver to win three years in a row, Byron now shares the second-favorite spot at +1000 odds along with Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports.

Ryan Blaney

The Hendrick Motorsports driver shares the second-favorite spot at +1000 odds with William Byron and Kyle Larson to win the 2026 Daytona 500.

Kyle Larson

The Hendrick Motorsports driver shares the second-favorite spot at +1000 odds with William Byron and Ryan Blaney to win the 2026 Daytona 500.

Joey Logano

The 2015 Daytona 500 winner from Team Penske now holds odds at +1200 to win the 2026 race.

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What’s next

Fans can watch the live broadcast of the 2026 Daytona 500 on Fox on Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The takeaway

The shifting odds for the 2026 Daytona 500 highlight the caution and uncertainty inherent in this high-stakes NASCAR event, where past success offers no guarantee and each lap could change the trajectory of the campaign.