The NASCAR Cup Series wraps up its regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night, where Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, and Austin Cindric headline this week’s betting picks and value predictions.
Coke Zero Sugar 400 Picks
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Channel: NBC
What Did We Learn From Last Weekend?
Ryan Blaney was the class of the field after leading a total of 115 of the 301 laps to take the checkered flag on Sunday at New Hampshire. He won by over a half second over Bubba Wallace and took home his second consecutive win at the track offering a giant lobster as concession for winning. Blaney overcame a slow pit stop in the middle of the race that could’ve proven to be a hindrance, but the team used it as fuel to motivate and continue towards the win on Sunday afternoon. With only one race remaining until the playoff field is 100% set, Blaney left nothing to wonder about in his chances to ultimately be a championship contender. It is his third win of the season and 20th of his career. Blaney is in it to win it.
The Blaney team took a gamble with two tires, but it paid off, ultimately outpacing Bubba Wallace despite a strong charge. For Wallace, it was disappointing because of not yet having a win this season, but he charged a little too hard and locked up brakes with about 5 laps to go. That vibration was enough to end his hopes for a victory. Blaney is Wallace’s good friend, though, so Wallace was a class act about his runner-up finish. Josh Berry had another super solid run, coming home third. He was followed by Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson to round out the top 5. Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, and Noah Gragson finished out the top 10 spots.
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
For Gragson, it was a great run after a season muddled with troubles. He has a lot on his plate as he works on regrouping for the 2027 season. He’s got a shot this weekend at Daytona, but we all know how this track likes to play games. Daytona is a track that leads drivers and teams astray, often ending championship hopes after they inherently get involved in The Big One. There’s no way to predict or avoid it in many cases, so drivers must do their best to mind their Ps and Qs while maintaining friendships across the track throughout the race. This 2.5 mile asphalt tri-oval is a beast of a track offering a great deal of chaos as drivers battle the 31 degrees of banking through the turns and 18 degrees through the tri-oval. The back straightaway is a mild 3 degrees. This is nothing like the last couple of weekends. It’s also a hard track to predict because of the drafting and the wild rides that ensue as a result.
Odds and Value Picks
Picking winners at Daytona is hard these days. There hasn’t been one particular driver that has dominated the superspeedways like the Dale Earnhardts, Cale Yarboroughs, Richard Pettys, and Jeff Gordons. That’s not to say we don’t have some guys that can run great on these types of tracks, but it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a driver that could “see the air” like Earnhardt Sr could. Current NASCAR betting odds are available at Bovada. Let’s take a look at your potential winners heading into this weekend’s last race of the regular season:
Winner: Joey Logano (+1200)
It’s hard to bet against Logano. He’s actually one of the best we currently have in terms of active superspeedway drivers. The Penske garage knows how to bring speed, and Logano is often up front contending for the win in the closing laps both here and Talladega. Coming off a win last weekend only makes him stronger. Logano is the one to beat on Saturday.
Mid-Range Pick: Bubba Wallace (+1600)
Wallace is a disciplined superspeedway driver. He’s someone who has mastered the draft racing required both here and at Talladega. In fact, Wallace earned his first Cup Series victory at Talladega back in 2021. At Daytona, he boasts the second best average finish and has 5 top 5 finishes. Wallace will be one to watch.
Dark Horse: Austin Cindric (+1600)
Cindric is up and coming and also one of the best on these big tracks. He has a win at Daytona in the 500 back in 2022. He’s very effective at maintaining his composure throughout these races and tends to position himself well when it matters most. Look for Cindric to stay competitive as the night moves on.
Points Picture Heading Into Daytona
This is it for the regular season. There are 3 spots remaining to be locked in as the teams head into Daytona. Wallace and Cindric are two of those drivers. SVG remains in the final spot currently, but Ryan Preece is hot on his heels. Let’s see the top 16 after New Hampshire:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Ty Gibbs
4. Tyler Reddick
5. Christopher Bell
6. Chase Briscoe
7. Kyle Larson
8. Chase Elliott
9. Joey Logano
10. Chris Buescher
11. Carson Hocevar
12. William Byron
13. Daniel Suarez
14. Bubba Wallace
15. Austin Cindric
16. Shane van Gisbergen
Preece is 31 points behind SVG, which is still statistically possible. Nothing can be counted out as we head into Daytona. This is one of those tracks that can completely shake up the leaderboard. Although the top 13 are locked in, the last 3 positions can still be transferred from a statistical standpoint. What will happen on Saturday? Will Denny remain our regular series champion after Daytona? Stay tuned for an epic close to the NASCAR Cup Series regular season under the lights on Saturday night!
