Who Will Win the 2025 Daytona Duels? Our Best NASCAR Picks & Predictions for Tonight
Assuming the weather cooperates, the 2025 Daytona Duels will start tonight at 7 p.m. ET (FS1) with feature two 150-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway to determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 odds on Sunday.
We're offering our best Daytona Duels predictions, odds, and expert picks to win tonight's qualifying heats, including our best long shot and prop bets for both races.
How do the Daytona Duels work?
Unlike traditional qualifying runs, the Daytona 500 features a unique format for determing the starting lineup for the first (and most prestigious) race of the NASCAR season.
Following two rounds of qualifying on Wednesday to determine the front row, the rest of the starting lineup will be determined by the results of tonight's Daytona Duels.
🏎️ 2025 Daytona Duels format & rules
- Two 60-lap races (150 miles) will determine the final starting order for the Daytona 500
- Duel 1: Sets the inside row behind the front row (positions 3, 5, 7, etc.)
- Duel 2: Sets the outside row behind the front row (positions 4, 6, 8, etc.)
- The top 10 drivers in each Duel earn stage points toward the Cup Series standings
2025 Daytona Duels odds & favorites
While the Daytona Duels don't follow the exact same format as the Daytona 500 - each race is 140 laps shorter and only features half the field - the odds to win tonight's qualifying races look quite similar to the latest 2025 Daytona 500 odds for Sunday.
Here are the latest Daytona Duels odds and favorites to win both qualifying races at BetMGM. Be sure to follow the rest of our NASCAR picks ahead of the Daytona 500 this weekend.
🥇 Daytona Duel 1 odds
- Kyle Busch, +650 ($10 to win $65)
- Chase Elliott, +900 ($10 to win $90)
- William Byron, +1000 ($10 to win $100)
- Bubba Wallace, +1200 ($10 to win $120)
- Chase Briscoe, +1400 ($10 to win $140)
- Michael McDowell, +1400 ($10 to win $140)
- Ryan Preece, +1600 ($10 to win $160)
- Josh Berry, +1600 ($10 to win $160)
- Ty Gibbs, +1600 ($10 to win $160)
- Tyler Reddick, +1600 ($10 to win $160)
- Ross Chastain, +1600 ($10 to win $160)
- Austin Dillon, +1800 ($10 to win $180)
- Martin Truex Jr., +2000 ($10 to win $200)
- Justin Haley, +2000 ($10 to win $200)
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., +2000 ($10 to win $200)
- AJ Allmendinger, +2500 ($10 to win $250)
- Zane Smith, +3000 ($10 to win $300)
- Justin Allgaier, +3000 ($10 to win $300)
- Carson Hocevar, +3000 ($10 to win $300)
- Ty Dillon, +3500 ($10 to win $350)
- Chandler Smith, +5000 ($10 to win $500)
- Helio Castroneves, +10000 ($10 to win $1,000)
- JJ Yeley, +20000 ($10 to win $2,000)
🥇 Daytona Duel 2 odds
- Joey Logano, +650 ($10 to win $65)
- Brad Keselowski, +700 ($10 to win $70)
- Ryan Blaney, +700 ($10 to win $70)
- Denny Hamlin, +750 ($10 to win $75)
- Austin Cindric, +900 ($10 to win $90)
- Christopher Bell, +1000 ($10 to win $100)
- Kyle Larson, +1000 ($10 to win $100)
- Chris Buescher, +1100 ($10 to win $110)
- Todd Gilliland, +1400 ($10 to win $140)
- Alex Bowman, +1600 ($10 to win $160)
- Noah Gragson, +2000 ($10 to win $200)
- Daniel Suarez, +2500 ($10 to win $250)
- Erik Jones, +3000 ($10 to win $300)
- Riley Herbst, +4000 ($10 to win $400)
- Cole Custer, +4000 ($10 to win $400)
- Corey Lajoie, +4000 ($10 to win $400)
- Jimmie Johnson, +5000 ($10 to win $500)
- Shane van Gisbergen, +5000 ($10 to win $500)
- John H. Nemechek, +5000 ($10 to win $500)
- Anthony Alfredo, +8000 ($10 to win $800)
- Code Ware, +10000 ($10 to win $1,000)
- BJ McLeod, +20000 ($10 to win $2,000)
You can use our BetMGM bonus code, SBRBONUS, to claim up to $1,500 in bonus bets by placing a wager of any amount on the Daytona 500 or any other market!
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2025 Daytona Duels expert picks & predictions
Much like the Daytona 500 itself, the Duels can lend themselves to some unpredictable finishes and surprise winners over the years. But, like Sunday's big event, the top drivers in the sport often find their way to the front when it matters most.
That's why I'm backing two of the winningest active drivers in this race with my Daytona Duels expert picks and predictions for tonight's qualifying races:
🏆 Duel 1 pick to win: Kyle Busch (+650 via bet365)
Look, I don't love laying the shortest odds in the field any more than you do, but there's a reason Busch is the favorite at bet365 to win the first Daytona Duel tonight.
Busch has more wins than any full-time active driver, but he's still seeking his first Daytona 500 win on the heels of his first winless season in nearly two decades. He's also won the Duels three times before - tied for the most of any active driver - and led 28 of 60 laps two years ago before a late wreck.
With most drivers erring on the side of caution to avoid damage to their car before the big race on Sunday, I'd expect Busch to be a little more motivated to secure a spot on the second row and win the first Daytona 500 of his otherwise storied career.
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🏆 Duel 2 pick to win: Joey Logano (+650 via Caesars)
Logano has won the Duels three times in the last eight years, most recently in 2023, and he's posted two other top-five finishes in that stretch. That's why he features among the shortest odds at Caesars to win tonight's second Duel.
The reigning Cup Series champion was blisteringly fast in Wednesday's qualifying to earn the second spot in Duel 2 behind Penske teammate Austin Cindric, who has already clinched a spot in the front row of the Daytona 500 and has virtually no incentive to win.
Cindric and fellow Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, who is starting in 10th, could play a key role as drafting partner for the No. 22. Given his early starting position, strong history in the Duels, and favorable draw with two Penske teammates, Logano feels like the best value bet of the entire field to maintain his early lead and cruise to a win in the nightcap.
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Best Daytona Duels long shots
Who doesn't love betting long shots at Daytona? We've seen surprise winners like Aric Almirola (2021, 2023) win in recent years, and Tyler Reddick cashed last year as a 16/1 long shot. So we're hunting for value with our best Daytona Duels long shots:
🎯 Best Duel 1 long shot: Ryan Preece (+1600 via DraftKings)
Preece posted the third-fastest qualifying time on Wednesday, which means he was the fastest driver who still has something to race for tonight after Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric locked in their spots on the front row for Sunday's race.
Track position is paramount in these Duels, which are shorter and often feature fewer cautions and pit stops given the conservative approach by drivers. If Preece can stave off any early jockeying, he could find himself out front for the majority of tonight's race.
With Preece seeing odds as short as +1200 across two of our other best sportsbooks, I love these +1600 odds at DraftKings, which would turn a winning $10 bet into a $160 profit.
🎯 Best Duel 2 long shot: Alex Bowman (+1600 via FanDuel)
Bowman doesn't have the most impressive history in the Duels, but he's also rarely had to try after qualifying for a spot in the front row for six straight years from 2018-23.
He finally needed to put the pedal to the metal last year, and he finished third in Duel 1 despite starting ninth. He'll start sixth in tonight's race, yet his odds still sit at +1600 via FanDuel - ranking 10th overall between Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson.
That's why I'm targeting these long-shot odds on last year's Daytona 500 runner-up to win tonight and help Hendrick Motorsports secure back-to-back wins on Sunday.
Best Daytona Duels prop bets
If you're tailing our picks on Busch and Logano to win, it's worth sprinkling a few bucks on those two (and Preece and Bowman) to finish in the top three, too. But we're also targeting a few other drivers to score a top-three finish with our best Daytona Duels prop bets:
đź’° Best Duel 1 prop bet: Ross Chastain top-3 finish (+470 via FanDuel)
Chastain hasn't been the best in the Daytona Duels over the years, and he wasn't all that impressive in qualifying on Wednesday, either. But he's an aggressive driver who excels at picking off drivers one by one and staving off challengers behind him.
That's the exact type of approach that bodes well in the Duels, where most drivers would rather avoid a collision than risk one trying to secure track position for a qualifier. With his top-three odds as short as +240 across our best sports betting apps, I'm all over these +470 odds on Chastain to put forth a better effort ahead of a pivotal season for the No. 1 Chevrolet team.
đź’° Best Duel 2 prop bet: Kyle Larson top-3 finish (+265 via DraftKings)
Larson has never won a superspeedway race, including the Daytona 500, but he has finished in the top 10 in nine of his last 11 tries in the Daytona Duels - which includes a ninth-place finish last year and a sixth-place result the year before.
The Hendrick Motorsports star fares better in this format where large drafting packs aren't quite as effective with half the field and less on the line, which should allow the No. 5 to climb from the fifth spot in Duel 2 and snag a top-three finish tonight.
Daytona Duels betting trends
While it's always hard to predict what might happen at Daytona, we can take a look back at the recent Daytona Duels trends to get a sense of what we might see tonight:
🔥 Chevrolet has won the most Duels of any manufacturer (53), well ahead of second-place Ford (32), though Toyota swept the Duels last year. Chevy hasn't won since 2021.
🔥 Fords have led a combined 50.8% of laps over the last three years (183 of 360) with 16 of the top 30 spots in the top five.
🔥 No driver has repeated as a Duels winner since Joey Logano in 2019-20. Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell won last year's Duels, respectively.
🔥 Matt Kenseth was the last Duel winner to win the Daytona 500 in 2012. He's the only driver to pull that off in the last 19 years.
Daytona weather update: Will Daytona Duels be postponed by rain delay?
There was a weather hold at Daytona International Speedway earlier today after a downpour of rain and lightning forced a rain delay that led to the ARCA and Truck Series practices getting canceled.
That said, tonight's Daytona Duels should be able to proceed as scheduled after the lightning hold was lifted at the track, so we can expect the Duels to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
đź“ş How to watch the 2025 Daytona Duels
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 13
- Start time: 7 p.m. ET (Duel 1) and 8:45 p.m. ET (Duel 2)
- Track: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
- Length: 60 laps, 150 total miles
- TV info: FS1
- Streaming: FOX Sports App, FuboTV
âť“ Daytona Duels FAQs
What time are the Daytona Duels tonight?
The first Daytona Duel will begin at 7 p.m. ET tonight, while the second Daytona Duel is scheduled to begin tentatively at 8:45 p.m. ET shortly after the first race.
What channel are the Daytona Duels on?
The Daytona Duels races will air on FS1 and stream on the FOX Sports app and FuboTV.
Who won the Daytona Duels last year?
Tyler Reddick (Duel 1) and Christopher Bell (Duel 2) won last year's Daytona Duels.
Who has won the most Daytona Duels?
Dale Earnhardt won the most Daytona Duels (12) in NASCAR history, while Denny Hamlin (3), Joey Logano (3), and Kyle Busch (3) have the most wins among active drivers.
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