2023 NASCAR at Daytona odds, lineup, predictions, start time: Model makes surprising Coke Zero Sugar 400 picks

The final race before the NASCAR playoffs will take place on Saturday, the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Drivers like Chase Elliott are still trying to secure a playoff berth, giving them extra incentive compared to other drivers in the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 field. Elliott is the 10-1 favorite in the 2023 NASCAR at Daytona odds, sitting ahead of Denny Hamlin (11-1) and Brad Keselowski (11-1). Elliott has a slew of top-five finishes, but he has yet to win a race this season. Ryan Blaney (12-1) will be one of the other 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 contenders after winning this race in 2021. However, he has not finished better than ninth in any of the past 10 races, so should you fade him with your NASCAR bets?

The green flag drops at 7 p.m. ET. Before scouring the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 starting lineup and making any 2023 NASCAR at Daytona predictions, be sure to see the latest 2023 NASCAR Daytona picks from SportsLine’s proven NASCAR model.

Developed by daily Fantasy pro and SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, this proprietary NASCAR prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as track history and recent results.

McClure’s model is off to a red-hot start this season, already nailing Martin Truex Jr.’s Clash win (20-1) as well as his win in New Hampshire (11-2), Joey Logano’s Duel win (8-1), Kyle Busch’s Fontana victory (10-1), Denny Hamlin’s triumph in Kansas (6-1) and Kyle Larson’s wins at Martinsville (6-1) and the NASCAR All-Star Race (13-2). In Austin, it listed Tyler Reddick as one of its best values and he went on to win for a 10-1 payout. It also impressively nailed five of Larson’s wins during his historic season in 2021. 

All told, the model has nailed a whopping 13 winners since 2021. Anyone who followed its lead on those NASCAR picks saw huge returns.

Now, the model simulated the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 10,000 times. Head to SportsLine to see the complete projected NASCAR at Daytona leaderboard.

Top 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 predictions

For the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400, the model is high on Kyle Larson, even though he’s an 18-1 longshot in the latest 2023 NASCAR at Daytona odds. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Larson has yet to win a race at Daytona, but he has seven top-10s in his last 11 attempts at this track.

His pit crew was on fire at Daytona earlier this season, averaging the fastest four-tire stop time (12.763 seconds). They have momentum coming into Saturday’s race after posting the best average pit time at Watkins Glen (12.456). While Larson has not been able to break through at Daytona during his career, he ranks fifth in the current Cup Series standings and has two top-10s in his last three races. See who else to back at SportsLine.

And a massive shocker: Brad Keselowski, one of the Vegas favorites at 12-1, stumbles big-time and barely cracks the top 10. There are far better values in the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 starting lineup. After a miserable first season with RFK Racing, Keselowski has settled in during the 2023 season and has locked in a playoff position based on points with a 107-point lead over Wallace on the bubble.

However, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion is still winless on the season and been reliant on stage points, with only 10 top-10 finishes in the first 25 races of the year. Keselowski won the Daytona night race in 2016, but he’s been outside the top 10 in 22 of his 28 career Cup starts at Daytona International Speedway. See which other drivers to avoid at SportsLine.

How to make 2023 NASCAR at Daytona picks

The model is also targeting three other drivers with Daytona night race odds of 16-1 or longer to make a serious run at the checkered flag. Anyone who backs these drivers could hit it big. You can see all of the model’s NASCAR picks over at SportsLine.

So who wins the Coke Zero Sugar 400 2023, and which longshots are a must-back? Check out the latest 2023 NASCAR at Daytona odds below, then visit SportsLine now to see the full projected 2023 NASCAR at Daytona leaderboard, all from the model that already nailed seven winners this season.

2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 odds, drivers, lineup

See full NASCAR at Daytona picks at SportsLine

Denny Hamlin 10-1Chase Elliott 11-1Brad Keselowski 12-1Joey Logano 12-1Ryan Blaney 12-1Kyle Busch 14-1Chris Buescher 15-1Bubba Wallace 15-1William Byron 16-1Kyle Larson 18-1Martin Truex Jr. 18-1Austin Dillon 20-1Daniel Suarez 20-1Aric Almirola 20-1Alex Bowman 22-1Ross Chastain 25-1Austin Cindric 25-1Tyler Reddick 25-1Christopher Bell 25-1Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 25-1Ty Gibbs 25-1Erik Jones 30-1Kevin Harvick 30-1Michael McDowell 35-1Chase Briscoe 35-1A.J. Allmendinger 40-1Ryan Preece 40-1Corey Lajoie 45-1Justin Haley 45-1Josh Berry 60-1Todd Gilliland 60-1Harrison Burton 60-1Austin Hill 75-1Chandler Smith 100-1Riley Herbst 100-1JJ Yeley 500-1B.J. McLeod 500-1Brennan Poole 500-1Ty Dillon 500-1