Daytona 500 Odds: Why Jeff Gordon Is a Great Bet This Year

If you're the sort of lad or lass who likes to throw a few bills down on a race, why not take a chance on Jeff Gordon at the Daytona 500 this year?

At 18-1 odds, you don't have to give a lot to turn a nice profit if he wins. And that's not out of the question—he's already won the race three times in his storied career.

It's not as though he's some old man out on the course racing despite deteriorating skills—Gordon's still got it.

He finished 2011 ranked eighth and managed 18 top-10 finishes, 13 top-five finishes and three wins. The 922 laps he led were his most since 2007. And despite accomplishing pretty much everything there is to accomplish in racing, he still has motivation.

From Shemar Woods of the New York Daily News:

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What keeps the competitive fire burning for one of NASCAR's most accomplished drivers is his family: daughter Ella (4 1/2) and son Leo (18 months).

"I want them to see me racing to the point that they can remember it," Gordon said. "My daughter is just getting to that age. My son has a few years left, so that's inspiring me to keep it going."

"

Pride, money, the admiration of the opposite sex—all are traditional sources of motivation.

But you don't want to get in the way of a father who is trying to impress his kids.

All jokes aside, Gordon still has it, even if he isn't nearly as dominant as he once was. And with three Daytona wins on his side and 18-1 odds, he's a favorable bet as well.

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