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2025 Daytona 500 AI Picks & Predictions Today: ChatGPT's Best Bets, Projection for Every Driver

C Jackson Cowart

Last Updated: February 16, 2025 9:57 AM EST • 5 min 34 sec read.

Daytona 500 AI Picks & Predictions 2025: Best Bets & Projected Finishing Order
Pictured: Kyle Busch turns the No. 8 Chevrolet into the garage area. Photo by David Tucker / News-Journal via Imagn Images.

We're counting down the hours to the Daytona 500 at 1:30 p.m. ET (FOX), and we've turned to AI to predict the winner and full projected finishing order for this year's Great American Race.

We asked ChatGPT for its Daytona 500 predictions based on historical data, betting odds, and statistical trends - including its pick to win, best prop bet, and favorite long shot, as well as the results for every driver for Sunday's 41-car field.

Here are our AI-powered Daytona 500 best bets and full AI-simulated finishing order:

Daytona 500 AI picks & predictions

We've previously used ChatGPT to predict the March Madness bracket and its Super Bowl picks, and we're once again turning to OpenAI's popular chatbot to predict the winner of Sunday's Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway.

I trained ChatGPT's latest and most advanced AI model to study the Daytona 500 odds, betting history, and relevant trends before predicting this year's Daytona 500 winner:

Daytona 500 AI Picks & Predictions 2025: Best Bets & Projected Finishing Order
Pictured: NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) during practice for the Daytona 500. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images.

🏆 ChatGPT's pick to win Daytona 500

ChatGPT predicts Kyle Busch will win the Daytona 500. Busch's best odds to win the Daytona 500 are +1300 via FanDuel, which would turn a winning $10 bet into a $130 profit with an implied win probability of 7.14%.

Here's why the AI model is predicting Busch to win this race for the first time in his career:

✅ Experience & track record: His ability to navigate the chaotic nature of Daytona - where multi-car incidents and draft strategies often decide the outcome - has been well documented over his career. His proven racecraft makes him a standout, even when racing from a less-than-ideal starting position (starting 21st in this lineup).

✅ Team strength & strategy: Busch benefits from a team that knows how to set up a car for the unique demands of Daytona. The crew’s expertise in drafting strategy and pit management plays a critical role in ensuring that his car is in peak condition for the final laps.

✅ Market confidence: The current betting odds, with Busch as short as +900 via DraftKings, reflect strong market confidence. These odds not only account for his ability to perform under pressure but also suggest that analysts and bettors alike recognize his favorable matchup in the chaotic dynamics of a Daytona race.

🤖 AI confidence level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (15% chance of winning per AI simulation)

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💰 ChatGPT's best prop bet for Daytona 500

ChatGPT predicts Denny Hamlin will finish in the top three as its best prop bet. Hamlin's best odds to score a top-3 finish are +400 via BetMGM, which would turn a winning $10 bet into a $40 profit with an implied win probability of 20%.  

Here's why the AI model is predicting Hamlin to finish in the top three at the Daytona 500 for the sixth time in his career:

✅ Proven superspeedway performance: Hamlin has repeatedly shown that he can navigate the chaotic conditions of Daytona, where strategic drafting and positioning are critical. His experience in similar races supports his ability to secure a top-3 finish.

✅ Strong starting position & team strength: Starting eighth, Hamlin benefits from a good track position, and racing with Joe Gibbs Racing means he has the backing of a crew that’s adept at making crucial mid-race adjustments and pit decisions.

✅ Consistency in restrictor plate racing: Over his career, Hamlin has been known to perform well under the unique pressures of restrictor plate racing, making him a reliable pick to be among the leaders in the final stages of the race.

🤖 AI confidence level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (35% chance of a top-3 per AI simulation)

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🎯 ChatGPT's best long shot to win Daytona 500

ChatGPT predicts AJ Allmendinger will win the Daytona 500 as its best long shot. Allmendinger's best odds to win the Daytona 500 are +7500 via Caesars, which would turn a winning $10 bet into a $750 profit with an implied win probability of 1.32%.

Here's why the AI model is predicting Allmendinger as its best long shot to win this race for the first time:

✅ Versatility & opportunism: While Allmendinger is best known for his road-course prowess, his aggressive driving style and knack for capitalizing on chaotic race conditions make him a potential dark horse at Daytona. He has started 11 Daytona 500s and finished them all, which is the most ever without a DNF.

✅ Team dynamics: Racing for Kaulig Racing, he may benefit from creative drafting partnerships and strategic calls that can pay off in a race where positioning and timing are everything.

✅ Historical context: Daytona’s history of unpredictable outcomes means that a driver outside the usual favorites can sometimes take advantage of a well-timed break or an unexpected incident, turning long-shot status into a winning opportunity.

🤖 AI confidence level: ⭐⭐ (3% chance of winning per AI simulation)

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AI predictions for full Daytona 500 finishing order for every driver

Here is our predicted Daytona 500 finishing order for all 41 drivers based on AI projections. As ChatGPT notes: "This projection leans on historical performance, team strengths, and current market sentiment, but it’s inherently speculative. Daytona is unpredictable by nature, and this projection is just one of many possible outcomes."

🏁 ChatGPT's full predicted finishing order

  1. Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)
  2. Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
  3. Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
  4. Joey Logano (Team Penske)
  5. William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
  6. Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
  7. Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)
  8. Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)
  9. Austin Cindric (Team Penske)
  10. Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)
  11. Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
  12. Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)
  13. Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)
  14. Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)
  15. John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)
  16. Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
  17. Corey LaJoie (Rick Ware Racing)
  18. Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)
  19. Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)
  20. Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)
  21. Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)
  22. Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)
  23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing)
  24. Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)
  25. Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
  26. Riley Herbst (23XI Racing)
  27. Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)
  28. Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing)
  29. Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)
  30. Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)
  31. Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)
  32. Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)
  33. Justin Haley (Spire Motorsports)
  34. Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)
  35. Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)
  36. Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)
  37. Martin Truex Jr. (Tricon Garage)
  38. Jimmie Johnson (Legacy Motor Club)
  39. AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)
  40. Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing)
  41. Helio Castroneves (Trackhouse Racing)
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🤖 AI Daytona 500 best bets

BetDriverOddsImplied win probability
🏆 Pick to winKyle Busch+13007.14%
💰 Best prop betDenny Hamlin (top-3)+40020%
🎯 Best long shotAJ Allmendinger+75001.32%

💰 Daytona 500 odds & expert picks

📺 How to watch the 2025 Daytona 500

📅 Race date: Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025
🕒 Start time: 1:30 p.m. ET
📍 Track: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
📺 TV: FOX | Streaming: FOX Sports App, FuboTV, YouTube TV  

🏁 Best NASCAR betting sites for Daytona 500

Looking to bet on AI's Daytona 500 picks? Here are our top-rated NASCAR best sports betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best sportsbook promos ahead of Sunday's race at 1:30 p.m. ET.

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Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.

Written By:
C Jackson Cowart
C Jackson Cowart is a publishing editor and lead writer for Sportsbook Review. An award-winning writer, reporter, and editor with a decade of sports media experience, "C-Jax" has worked with ESPN, Forbes, theScore, and various daily newspapers before joining the Sportsbook Review team. He's a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he served as a beat writer for the Tar Heels' championship run through the NCAA men's basketball tournament in 2017. Jackson has spent the last five years covering sports betting as a predictive analyst, features writer, and industry reporter. Since joining the team in 2023, he's played a key role in Sportsbook Review's coverage of the Super Bowl, March Madness, and NBA playoffs while serving as the lead writer for the growing WNBA and NASCAR betting scenes. Though he's cashed some big bets over the years -- including Lamar Jackson to win MVP (twice) -- he's still haunted by enough second-place bet slips to wallpaper his home office. While Jackson is a committed "process over results" bettor with a keen eye for advanced stats and subtle bias in futures markets, he also embraces sports betting as a vehicle for entertainment and personal investment. He's written about everything from hot dogs to groundhogs and still hasn't forgiven his "inside source" for a sabotaged bet on the Gatorade color in Super Bowl LV.