The "First Family of the Action Network" are packing their bags and heading south to the Daytona 500.
OK, so the whole family is flying down, but I'll be damned if I'm taking a 4-year-old to one of the best events of the year. That's a big ole NOPE for me.
So while my kids are at their cousins' house with a babysitter, I'll be enjoying my very first live Daytona 500 and singing "It's Daytona daaaaaaay, it's Daytona day!" to myself for hours straight.
What can I say? it's a catchy song and they took it away. I'm salty.
Daytona International Speedway is a 2.5-mile superspeedway that's known for its bumping, big wrecks and abundance of drama, and I am here for it.
In other words, it's unpredictable, which can make betting on the Daytona 500 a little more difficult than usual races that rely primarily on skill.
But that's half the fun.
So let's narrow down my favorite Daytona 500 picks while also trying to keep it light, hope for some chaos and minimize disappointment.
Daytona 500 Picks
Ryan Blaney to Win (+1200)
Not only is Blaney my No. 1 bet in this article, I also have him as my best bet for the Action Network.
Yep, they let me write a fancy-ass best bet like I know what I'm doing over here.
Don't tell them the truth.
Denny Hamlin Top Toyota (+230)
Hamlin has won the Daytona 500 twice since 2019, and three time in his career, and it's hard for me to place any of the other Toyota drivers above him, which is one reason for the high price tag.
But I'll take what I can get at this point.
What could possibly go wrong?
Ford Winning Manufacturer (+140)
When all else fails, find a manufacturer you like and run with it. On his "Actions Detrimental" podcast, Hamlin recently said that they new noses should benefit Ford at superspeedways.
Ford drivers also won both Duel races on Thursday night, showing how much speed is in their cars ahead of today's Daytona 500.
Ricky Stenhouse to Win (+4000)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Bet on chaos.
This track is known for it, and I plan on taking full advantage by picking my favorite long shots and hoping for some fun.
Stenhouse is just the guy. He's fun and just as likely to wreck the whole field as he is to contend for a win. So back a wild card and roll with Wrecky ( I mean Ricky) Stenhouse.
