2019 NextEra Energy 250 Betting Preview

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Betting Preview
Friday February 15th, 2019 7:30PM EST
by Jay Horne, NASCAR Handicapper, NASCARWagers.com

The Gander Outdoors Truck Series steps into the spotlight tonight in the first points race of the 2019 season for the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Judging by the way the Cup and Xfinity cars have looked thus far during Daytona Speedweeks, tonight’s truck race has the potential to be the best event of the weekend. As we prepare for 3 straight days of racing at Daytona, we wanted to take the time to provide some betting thoughts for tonight’s main event. Take a look as we provide our 2019 NextEra Energy 250 betting preview.

Our official picks will not start until Sunday’s Daytona 500 but I am going to provide some betting suggestions below similar to last night’s Gander RV Duels betting preview where we squeezed out a profit thanks to Joey Logano’s last lap charge to victory in Duel #2. For tonight’s race, this is a tough race to predict. For starters, we have several new drivers that do not normally participate in the Truck Series such as the notable likes of David Gilliland, Bobby Gerhart, and Ross Chastain. Former Xfinity Series driver Brennan Poole steps into a full-time role in the #30 truck. Last year’s ARCA champion and rising talent in Sheldon Creed steps into a full-time role in the #2 truck. Meanwhile, many drivers have moved to new teams. The biggest move during the offseason was that Johnny Sauter was kicked to the curb at GMS Racing. Defending Truck Series’ Champion Brett Moffitt will take over Sauter’s former ride while Sauter has moved back to his former home at Thorsport Racing. Along with the numerous changes, it is worth noting that Natalie Decker will also make her Truck Series debut tonight in the #54 truck for DGR-Crosley.

It may be difficult to become familiarized with all the new drivers and team numbers in the Truck Series for tonight’s race. It may be even more difficult to attempt to predict how these drivers will perform in the weeks ahead. The first few races of the season are going to be interesting in the Truck Series this year. We have some promising rookies and young talents that are surely going to make an impact at some point. How long will it take is the question. So I am eager to see which particular talents emerge from this new group of Truck Series drivers. For tonight’s race, it’s all about plate racing talent. The Truck Series has typically produced the “pack” style plate racing that fans typically enjoy which is a good thing because it favors the driver’s input. I don’t expect track position to be an obstacle like it has become on the Cup Side. It will be all about drivers trying to time and position themselves for the end of this race while avoiding the wrecks.

From a betting standpoint, I am not a huge fan of tonight’s betting odds. Perhaps they could get better after qualifying but that is certainly not guaranteed. Judging by the small window between tonight’s Truck Series qualifying and green flag, I wanted to get my bets in now. The top two drivers that I am targeting tonight include David and Todd Gilliland among your top tier threats. David Gilliland has been an excellent plate racer and has proved to be strong in prior Truck Series events on the plate tracks. Meanwhile, Todd Gilliland is the guy that I am expecting to make a big step forward this year and has excellent value at 13-1 odds. Even if you do not buy-in to that concept, Gilliland was excellent in this race one year ago as a rookie. If you don’t remember, Gilliland kept the #4 truck at the front of the field throughout the night and consistently impressed me with his moves on the track. He seems to have the “it” factor at this type of racing which was put on display again in the ARCA race last week. I like both Gilliland’s chances tonight and perhaps they could even work together late if given the opportunity.

The likes of Johnny Sauter and Brett Moffitt are obvious threats but their current odds seem overvalued. I would say the same for rookie Sheldon Creed at just 12-1 odds. I am a big fan of Creed’s potential but those odds are too low to bring value to anyone’s lineup. A few other guys that I believe will be popular targets include Timothy Peters at 19-1 odds and Stewart Friesen at 12-1 odds. Peters has been an extremely stout plate racer and pulled a big underdog style victory at Talladega last fall in a part-time role. Friesen was a bridesmaid on several occasions last year and should be one of the top tier teams this season which brings some slight value to the 12-1 odds.

When it comes to pure plate racing talents, Grant Enfinger is a guy that comes to mind as an excellent driver at this style of racing. Bobby Gerhart is an ARCA legend at Daytona but has never shown the equipment or skill set at the Truck Series level. Meanwhile, a few other guys that I have personally witnessed show some solid plate racing talent include the likes of Christian Eckes, Myatt Snider, and Harrison Burton. All 3 of those guys are decent mid-range long shots for tonight’s NextEra Energy 250. I personally like Burton the best of the 3 drivers. However, I may wait until after qualifying to personally see if their odds get better for Eckes or Snider. If they do, I may add a small wager to my lineup.

Be sure to be prepared for this week’s betting opportunities! Get signed up with 5Dimes for immediate access to the best odds in sports.

NextEra Energy 250 Suggested Bets:

David Gilliland +750 (1 unit)
Grant Enfinger +1200 (.5 unit)
Todd Gilliland +1350 (.75 unit)
Stewart Friesen +1750 (.25 unit)
Harrison Burton +2500 (.25 unit)
Myatt Snider +2500 (.25 unit)