2018 NextEra Energy Resources 250 Preview

2018 NextEra Energy Resources 250 Preview
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Betting Preview
Friday February 16th, 7:52PM (EST) at Daytona International Speedway
by Jay Horne of NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service

The Camping World Truck Series will officially kick off the 2018 season tonight with the running of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. There will be a lot of new faces in the series this season along with many familiar names. As we get accustomed to the new competition, tonight’s event will mainly surround one word: “opportunity.” Daytona International Speedway presents opportunity for many young drivers to get their first taste of NASCAR racing at one of its major series and possibly even an opportunity to visit victory lane at NASCAR’s most infamous venue.

From a betting standpoint, I will go ahead and give you a spoiler alert. There will not be any official race picks for tonight’s race. There is a reason this article is entitled “Preview” and not race picks. I have never been a fan of opening the season with betting action at Daytona. There are simply too many unknowns especially in the lower series. We have too many drivers with limited experience that could make a mistake that potentially could wipe out many other innocent drivers which is a common product of restrictor plate racing.

Therefore I just do not believe there is enough reward to outweigh the risk in these opening races at Daytona. In my personal opinion, the real handicapping and grind starts next week at Atlanta which is when our official race picks will kick off. For tonight’s 250 mile (100 laps) race, let’s put together our best speculative effort to discuss potential drivers that may be worth considering. I believe anyone that has followed the sport can agree that Johnny Sauter is the deserving overall favorite. Sauter has not only been one of the best drivers in the series in the last two years but he has also won 2 of the last 5 opening races at Daytona. From a pure talent and experience standpoint, Sauter is undeniably the top threat to take home another checkered flag tonight. However at a 3.5 to 1 price tag, the overall risk seemingly outweigh the reward in backing Sauter.

From a pure value standpoint, I believe that the guys in the intermediate range offer the best value based on their potential. Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek, and even Grant Enfinger are considerable choices hoovering at the 12-1 range. Enfinger is a notoriously talented plate racer with a breakthrough win recorded at Talladega in 2016. Meanwhile Rhodes and JHN are both very talented drivers that have enough experience under their belt to capitalize on tonight’s opportunity.

Another driver I think deserves some attention is David Gilliland. Gilliland will be driving the #4 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports that won the championship last year with Christopher Bell. Gilliland is filling in for his son Todd Gilliland who will take over the #4 ride full-time in a few weeks after he turns 18 years of age. For those that are unaware, NASCAR requires drivers to be 18 years of age to compete on tracks that are 1.5 miles in length or longer. Therefore, the elder Gilliland will fill-in in the interim. Considering his experience, equipment in the #4, and history of having breakout performances at the plate tracks, I think the elder Gilliland could be a legitimate threat for the win.

As far as the rest of the competitors, it is still a pretty sizeable guessing game hence the reason I do not like betting these races. Matt Crafton is not exactly known for his restrictor plate talent but who could deny his chances? Noah Gragson is a dark horse that I believe deserves respect and could potentially have a surprisingly successful season. I would even throw out names like Myatt Snider and Dalton Sargeant as guys to watch as they earn full-time seats for 2018. The list could go on as far as potential drivers to watch. Instead of discussing every possibility, I will just say if you are going to throw some action towards tonight’s race then just make sure to carefully consider the risk vs. reward factor. If you are not worried about simple “action”, sit back, enjoy the race, and pick back up with me at Atlanta when the real betting begins.

Looking for the best NASCAR odds for Daytona? Look no further than 5Dimes!