Not everyone is crazy about NASCAR betting, meaning casual bettors looking to throw down some action on the season's biggest race may not be interested in tracking and playing a full portfolio of futures, props, driver matchups, and more from the offseason through the wave of the green flag.
In addition, it's very unlikely to expect casual bettors to start thinking about NASCAR betting until the weekend of the race.
So, if you're interested in trying you hand at betting the Daytona 500, wagering on the manufacturer to take the checkered flag is a good way to tiptoe into the NASCAR wagering waters.
First, by taking one of the three manufacturers — Ford, Chevy or Toyota — you're essentially diversifying your action across many different cars. The racing at Daytona can be very unpredictable and often includes big wrecks that take out multiple drivers at once.
If you have only one or a handful of futures, your driver(s) can often have their days end early — it's simply the nature of superspeedway racing. That can be frustrating for casual bettors looking for a full 500-mile sweat, only to see each of their bets wiped out before the race is completed.
But if you take a manufacturer's full stable of cars, you should still have something to root for up until the final lap.
Therefore, betting the manufacturer is an easy to way to have a rooting betting interest for the entire Daytona 500 while also not overextending your bankroll if you're a new or inexperienced NASCAR bettor.
And even more importantly, there's also a nice betting edge on one of the three manufacturers to win the 2020 Daytona 500.
2020 Daytona 500 Pick: NASCAR Manufacturer Best Bet
At DraftKings Sportsbook, Chevy and Ford are tied with +155 odds to win the Daytona 500, with Toyota third at +225.
After comparing those to "true odds" — which are derived from consensus futures across the market's most respected sportsbooks — Ford has a clear edge from a betting value perspective.
Below is a look at how odds convert to no-vig implied probabilities (IP) and compare to true odds for each manufacturer.
As you can see, Ford has a clear edge with almost a 44% chance of winning the Daytona 500, while its odds convert to just 35.91%.
To put this in layman's terms, Blue Ovals should be about +128, showing why there's value at +155.
So if you're looking for some Daytona 500 action, but don't feel comfortable filling out an entire betting card, playing Ford at +155 to win the race is a good way to not only ensure you'll have a rooting interest, but also one with a NASCAR betting edge.
