2025 NASCAR AI Picks at Daytona Today: ChatGPT's Full Predictions for Coke Zero Sugar 400

We're locked in for another Saturday night race under the lights at Daytona International Speedway as we offer our NASCAR AI predictions for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC).

We asked ChatGPT for its NASCAR at Daytona predictions based on historical data, betting odds, and statistical trends - including its pick to win, best prop bet, favorite long shot, and results for every driver for today's 40-car field.

Along with our 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400 predictions at Daytona, here are our AI-powered NASCAR best bets and full AI-simulated finishing order:

🏆 Best NASCAR bet to win at Daytona

🏎️ Ryan Blaney

• Racing team: No. 12 (Team Penske Ford)
• Starting position: 1st
• Best odds: +1100 via Caesars ($10 to win $110)

✅ Why Ryan Blaney wins at Daytona

1. Elite Superspeedway Resume
Blaney has three career wins at Talladega and one at Daytona, plus multiple runner-up finishes. Since the start of the Next-Gen era, he owns one of the highest average finishes on drafting tracks, consistently positioning himself in the front pack when it counts. Penske Fords are often the class of the field in manufacturer drafting strength.

2. Pole Position Advantage
Blaney starts on pole, giving him early clean air and track-position control. At superspeedways, this helps avoid the mid-pack chaos where accidents often erupt. Penske teammates Logano and Cindric inside the top five also give him a strong drafting alliance to protect track position throughout the race.

3. Clutch Finisher in Chaos
Blaney has shown a knack for timing runs perfectly in the final laps, whether slingshotting off tandem pushes or blocking effectively. Superspeedways are unpredictable, but his ability to survive attrition and execute in the closing laps sets him apart. With Penske strategy and teammates in his corner, he’s the best bet to seal it.

🔢 AI simulation for Ryan Blaney

• Projected finish: 1st
• Simulated odds to win: 12.5%
• Confidence rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)

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🎯 Best NASCAR prop bet at Daytona

🏎️ Chris Buescher

• Racing team: No. 17 (RFK Racing Ford)
• Starting position: 24th
• Best odds: -115 via BetMGM ($10 to win $8.70)

✅ Why Chris Buescher finishes top-10 at Daytona

1. Drafting Efficiency in the Next-Gen Era
Buescher has quietly become one of the most consistent performers on superspeedways. Since 2022, he’s ranked among the top five in average finish at drafting tracks, thanks to RFK’s improvement in Ford horsepower and his knack for avoiding “the big one.”

2. RFK Team Superspeedway Strength
Teammate Brad Keselowski is one of the best drafters in NASCAR history, and RFK’s superspeedway setups have been consistently fast. With Keselowski often leading lines, Buescher benefits directly from tandem runs and strategy alignment.

3. Undervalued Mid-Pack Starter
Starting 24th pushes his odds into near-even money for a top-10, but his record shows he can climb quickly through the draft. The variance of superspeedway racing means raw starting position is less predictive, making his current odds an undervalued opportunity.

🔢 AI simulation for Chris Buescher

• Projected finish: 9th
• Simulated odds for top-10: 58%
• Confidence rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)

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🚀 Best NASCAR long shot at Daytona

🏎️ Michael McDowell

• Racing team: No. 71 (Spire Motorsports Chevrolet)
• Starting position: 20th
• Best odds: +4000 via FanDuel ($10 to win $400)

✅ Why Michael McDowell can win at Daytona

1. Proven Superspeedway Winner
McDowell shocked the world with his 2021 Daytona 500 victory, and he has remained one of the most reliable dark horses in the draft. Since the start of the Next-Gen era, he holds multiple top-10s at Daytona and Talladega, with some of the best “laps completed” and “survival rates” among underdogs.

2. Drafting Savvy & Clean Racing
Few drivers manage risk better in the pack than McDowell. He tends to avoid the middle-lane chaos, runs clean lines, and times his moves late. That patience gives him paths to capitalize when the leaders wreck in the final laps.

3. Spire’s Superspeedway Upside
Spire Motorsports has shown surprising flashes at drafting tracks (teammate Carson Hocevar also has speed). McDowell’s experience combined with Spire’s steady superspeedway prep makes him more dangerous than the odds suggest.

🔢 AI simulation for Michael McDowell

• Projected finish: 16th
• Simulated odds to win: 3.5%
• Confidence rating: ⭐⭐ (2 out of 5 stars)

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🤖 NASCAR AI projections today

Here is our predicted Coke Zero Sugar 400 finishing order and results for every driver based on AI projections. While ChatGPT is a large language model and not specifically designed for predicting sporting events, it can spot trends or insights that NASCAR bettors might overlook.

🏁 Projected finish order at Daytona

1. Ryan Blaney (No. 12, Team Penske) 🥇
2. Denny Hamlin (No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing) 🥈
3. William Byron (No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports) 🥉
4. Brad Keselowski (No. 6, RFK Racing)
5. Joey Logano (No. 22, Team Penske)
6. Austin Cindric (No. 2, Team Penske)
7. Bubba Wallace (No. 23, 23XI Racing)
8. Chase Elliott (No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports)
9. Chris Buescher (No. 17, RFK Racing)
10. Alex Bowman (No. 48, Hendrick Motorsports)
11. Ross Chastain (No. 1, Trackhouse Racing)
12. Tyler Reddick (No. 45, 23XI Racing)
13. Christopher Bell (No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing)
14. Kyle Larson (No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports)
15. Kyle Busch (No. 8, Richard Childress Racing)
16. Michael McDowell (No. 71, Spire Motorsports)
17. Chase Briscoe (No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing)
18. Ty Gibbs (No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing)
19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47, Hyak Motorsports)
20. Daniel Suarez (No. 99, Trackhouse Racing)
21. Carson Hocevar (No. 77, Spire Motorsports)
22. Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88, Trackhouse Racing)
23. Josh Berry (No. 21, Wood Brothers Racing)
24. A.J. Allmendinger (No. 16, Kaulig Racing)
25. Erik Jones (No. 43, Legacy Motor Club)
26. Austin Dillon (No. 3, Richard Childress Racing)
27. Zane Smith (No. 38, Front Row Motorsports)
28. Cole Custer (No. 41, Haas Factory Team)
29. Todd Gilliland (No. 34, Front Row Motorsports)
30. Noah Gragson (No. 4, Front Row Motorsports)
31. Ryan Preece (No. 60, RFK Racing)
32. John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42, Legacy Motor Club)
33. Riley Herbst (No. 35, 23XI Racing)
34. Ty Dillon (No. 10, Kaulig Racing)
35. Justin Haley (No. 7, Spire Motorsports)
36. Austin Hill (No. 33, Richard Childress Racing)
37. Cody Ware (No. 51, Rick Ware Racing)
38. B.J. McLeod (No. 78, Live Fast Motorsports)
39. Casey Mears (No. 66, Garage 66)
40. Joey Gase (No. 44, NY Racing Team)

💰 NASCAR AI picks for Daytona

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