The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season officially begins this weekend with the 65th running of the Daytona 500. There are high expectations across the board for all drivers rearing to rev their engines once more, and we’re here to break down several relatively unheralded sleeper candidates who have decent odds of winning the first big race of the year.

A Closer Look at the top 2023 Daytona 500 Sleeper Picks

The results. The process.#DAYTONA500 | #NASCAR75 pic.twitter.com/U5g0YXReYy

— Daytona International Speedway (@DAYTONA) February 17, 2023

Chris Buescher

• 2023 Daytona 500 Odds: +2,500

One driver worth keeping tabs on this week is RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher. Although the former Xfinity Series champion only has a pair of wins on the Cup Series circuit, his latest victory came not too long ago in Bristol last September. Buescher also has a total of three top-five finishes in 10 career Daytona races, with two of them at the Cup Series level, making him a very attractive sleeper to no longer settle for third place at Daytona Beach as he did in 2020.

Michael McDowell

• 2023 Daytona 500 Odds: +2,500

Another racer who’s not had much success outside of Daytona is 38-year-old veteran Michael McDowell. Since making his Cup Series debut in 2008, McDowell has only one victory to his name, and it just so happens to be at the 2021 edition of the Daytona 500. Not only that, but the dark horse of Front Row Motorsports has a streak of seven consecutive races of top-15 finishes or better on Daytona, as well as a total of five top-10 finishes on the illustrious course since 2012.

Chase Briscoe

• 2023 Daytona 500 Odds: +2,800

In just two full seasons of Cup Series action, Chase Briscoe has steadily proven himself as the next golden boy of Stewart-Haas racing. The 28-year-old Indy native picked up his maiden Cup Series victory at Phoenix just four races into the previous season, which was also preceded by a superb third-place showing in Daytona as well. Briscoe has never finished outside the top 20 throughout his racing career, which makes him yet another strong sleeper pick to win the whole shebang this weekend.

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