NASCAR odds: Head-to-head driver props for Daytona 500

In one week we will be just 24 hours away from the Daytona 500, so it’s time to look over the NASCAR odds and driver props.

Head-to-head driver matchups are pretty easy to understand. A sportsbook will offer you two drivers, and you pick which one you think will finish ahead of the other. Heading into the Daytona 500, there are very interesting matchups for fans to wager on.

Coming off of the Busch Light Clash, a few rivalries were reignited or even started in Los Angeles. Heading into the Daytona 500, fans can pick between some of these new rivals as well as a pair of veterans and rookies. DraftKings Sportsbook has five matchups for bettors to choose from.

Kyle Busch (-145) vs Martin Truex Jr. (+110)

Two veterans and champions of the sport, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Neither of them have a Daytona 500 win to their name, despite being two of the best to ever race in NASCAR. These two drivers are being put up against one another with Busch being the favorite at -145.

Truex Jr. felt that last year might have been his year. Busch led on lap 200, the end of the race had there not been overtime restarts. The two were teammates for years and now they both are chasing the biggest win of their careers. Truex Jr. is the underdog in this pairing at +110.

Rick Stenhouse Jr. (-140) vs Michael McDowell (+105)

These are two drivers who battled it out at The Clash. While neither of them really had a chance at running for a top spot, they were aggressive. At least, Michael McDowell was. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was upset after the Los Angeles race, and now they are being offered up in the NASCAR odds as driver props.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500 last year. Michael McDowell was the winner in 2021. In this pairing, Stenhouse gets the edge at -140 odds. McDowell is the underdog at +105. This is a very interesting matchup between two former winners and newly minted rivals.

Josh Berry (-150) vs Zane Smith (+115)

The battle of the rookies! Josh Berry and Zane Smith both have starts in the Cup Series, but only Smith has Daytona 500 experience. He raced in the 2023 race with Front Row Motorsports, finishing P13. Berry has yet to attempt the 500.

I’ll also throw in this little fact, Smith, the +115 underdog, has won the Daytona Truck Series race two years in a row. The trucks are closer to the Cup cars in how they race versus the Xfinity car. So, will Berry as a -150 favorite be able to earn top rookie honors? DraftKings has him as the biggest favorite in the head-to-head driver props.

Joey Logano (-145) vs Ty Gibbs (+110)

The hottest new rivals in the Cup Series, Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs. Back in the day, Logano feuded with the veteran champions of his time, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch. Now, Logano has another new best friend at Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty.

Logano is the favorite here, as he should be as a former winner and champion. However, don’t sleep on Ty Gibbs. He was right up there at the Coke Zero 400 to end the regular season before he went up into Ryan Blaney and the wall. The young driver will be hoping to pull off the +110 to -145 upset on Logano.

Ross Chastain (-115) vs Tyler Reddick (-115)

Here we have a matchup in the NASCAR odds that is dead even. About a week out from the Daytona 500, Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick have even odds to beat each other. Chastain and Reddick had a small spat at the end of the Busch Light Clash.

Despite that incident, the two are friends off the track. That doesn’t make this prop bet any less interesting. Chastain and Reddick need better results on superspeedways. Yes, Chastain won Talladega in 2022, the point still stands, consistency has to come next.