Coke Zero Sugar 400 2024 BellyUp Racing Picks

We’re superspeedway racing this weekend in NASCAR! The Coke Zero Sugar 400 returns this Saturday to the site where the season began. Daytona International Speedway is the trademark track for NASCAR. It’s a treat every time the circuit heads this way. It’s exciting, fast, action-packed, and never short on entertainment. Unfortunately, it’s not great for the traditional betting article we’ve given you every week. But what the hell? I haven’t picked a winner yet. Chris has a few times, let’s throw some picks at the wall and see what sticks. Here are our picks for the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona!

Chris’s Picks: #17 Chris Buescher (+1600) & #24 William Byron (+1600)

With it being Daytona it really is almost like just “shooting fish in a barrel.” Anyone can win this race if they’re able to avoid the multitudes of wrecks that normally occur. Since returning to Roush in 2020 Chris has had a decent stretch at Daytona. In his last 14 starts including any duels, he has nine top-ten finishes including two wins. One of those wins came in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 last season and the other in an early season duel. Either way, when it comes to Daytona, I want someone to put my money on who knows how to survive and Chris seems to know how to do just that. 

So, all that stuff I just said about taking a driver who has decent luck. Yeah, throw that out the window here. It’s normally about a 50/50 chance William even finishes the race at Daytona. However, William is your reigning Daytona 500 champion and did finish top ten at Daytona last Summer as well.  I know one thing though is this 24 team and driver are overdue for another win and Daytona is the perfect place to claim it if he can avoid the trouble. He should have the car under him since HMS is decently fast at Daytona usually, it’s just can William be in the right spots to avoid any accidents. Can you go wrong with a HMS pick at any given track?

Kaleb’s Picks: #23 Bubba Wallace (+1600) & #48 Alex Bowman (+2800)

These two are just the bestest of pals, aren’t they? Why not bet them together and cheer for their mutual success? Surely they’ve never had a run-in with each other. And most certainly not two or three. Anyways, the case with Bubba Wallace is simple. He’s a fantastic restrictor-plate racer. He’s got an average finish of 12th at Daytona, with five top-five finishes in 14 races and just 3 DNFs. He knows his way around Daytona Beach and is at the top of these crazy high superspeedway odds for good reason.

Alex Bowman’s #48 is a tad underrated. He’s a more than solid plate racer. In the last two races here, he finished P6 and runner-up. He’s had an average finish inside the top 15. And he hasn’t wrecked here since 2021. I think at +2800 it’s more than justified to throw some cash down on Bowman and see what happens.

Fun Wildcards

Chris’s Wild Card: #47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr (+2200)

A lot can be said about this pick. I know he can be way too aggressive, way too often. However, that’s the fun in a “wildcard” pick right? Plus if anyone could surprise the racing world at Daytona it’s going to be a guy like Ricky. He makes moves when he has them to make, and it doesn’t always pay off but on the off chance it does. This would be the race an aggressive move could win late. Now if you want stats I’ll give them to you as well but they aren’t super shiny. In forty-one starts at Daytona, again including duels and points-paying races. He’s averaged around a 16th-place finish and led 191 laps total. Not great but not as bad as some others. But at these odds, I will always lay a little money down on Ricky on the drafting-style tracks. 

Kaleb’s Wildcard: #21 Harrison Burton (+8000)

Now walk with me here. Harrison Burton has already been informed he’s not racing for Wood Brothers next year. The #21 will be filled by “rookie” driver Josh Berry, who’s run relatively strong in the #4 car. The Wood Brothers have been waiting for their 100th win since Ryan Blaney. Could you imagine the scenes when the #21 takes the checkered flag by some miracle as he runs up from for all of two laps on the green-white overtime checker down in Daytona? To secure a spot in the NASCAR playoffs at that? Tell me you’re not entertained by that. With how long they’ve been waiting for this 100th win, informing Burton he won’t be driving for them next year. This would be a crazy storyline, and I’m here for it!

If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebMcChesney! Also, read up on the rest of the NASCAR content Belly Up Sports has to offer here! Heck, for all your other sports needs, follow the main page. If you love racing of any shape or form, find Chris on Twitter, and let’s talk!