Free NASCAR Handicapping Plays - Sports Picks from Premium Cappers

Take Chase Briscoe Over Denny Hamlin (-110)

Both drivers are already locked into the playoffs, but their incentives at Daytona couldn't be more different.

Briscoe starts 12th, giving him a clean track position advantage right from the drop of the green flag. Starting further up the grid lets him dictate his own strategy early and stay ahead of the inevitable multi-car chaos that defines superspeedway racing. With nothing to lose and a strong regular-season finish to play for, expect him to race hard for track position all day.

Hamlin, by contrast, starts 30th and already holds the regular-season points lead heading into the final race. That changes his math entirely. There's no reason for him to mix it up in the pack — his only job is to keep the car clean, log laps in the back, and cross the finish line in one piece ahead of the playoffs. A safe, conservative drive serves his interests far better than a hard-charging one.

That contrast in motivation — Briscoe racing to close out the regular season strong, Hamlin racing purely to survive — makes Briscoe the better side of this matchup.

Let's cash some tickets!