Just as Jimmy Boyd did throughout the 2008 NASCAR season, he lists three drivers in three different price ranges that he feels have a legit shot at winning the 51st running of the Daytona 500. Start your season off right by beating the NASCAR odds with Jimmy Boyd. If you’re looking for a reliable race book with great lines, bet the Daytona 500 at BetUS this year.

Favorite: Bet Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the 2009 Daytona 500 at +500 at BetUS

Of the three drivers listed as the race day favorites at +500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. gives us the best opportunity to cash our bets. The drama of his break with DEI is now behind him and he already has a season with Hendrick Motosports under his belt to get acquainted with a new team. Now, it’s time for the talented Mr. Earnhardt to challenge for the Sprint Cup title. Junior already has one Daytona under his belt. He brought it home in 2004, six years after his father won his only Daytona and three years after his father died in the Great American Race. Junior has tremendous respect for his father but wants to have his own legacy. Winning a second Daytona, something his father never did, goes a long way to cementing that legacy. Junior only had one win last season, but he had a total of 10 top fives. Expect to see him doing some serious racing this season with a great opportunity to start the year off right with a Daytona victory lap.

Middle of the Pack: Bet Kevin Harvick to win the 2009 Daytona 500 at +2000 at BetUS.

You could say that Mr. Harvick is due for a win. He didn’t take any checkered flags during the 2008 season but still finished a very respectable fourth overall in the series. With seven top five finished and 16 top tens, Harvick was Mr. consistency and that’s why he earned his second fourth place finish in the last three years. He’s looking to take his racing to another level this season. Harvick, of course, was the 2007 Daytona 500 winner. Several Daytona winners have won the race in alternating years recently and that is a trend that we will follow with Harvick here. Jeff Gordon won the Super Bowl of Racing in 1997 and then won it again in 1999. Michael Waltrip won the race in 2001 and again in 2003. Also, from 1993-1996 either Dale Jarret or Sterling Martin won the race so it is not uncommon to perform well at Daytona in close proximity to past races. Another key is that five of the last six and 15 of the last 20 race winners have driven Chevy’s.

Longshot: Bet Michael Waltrip to win the 2009 Daytona 500 +5000 at BetUS

Waltrip has had good success at Daytona and is one of eight drivers in the history of the race with more than one victory. Waltrip took the checkered flag at Dayton in both 2001 and 2003. Waltrip only has four career Sprint Cup Series wins. With two of those coming at Daytona, it is apparent that he has what it takes to excel in this race. Waltrip showed he could still run well on the track by finishing second in the pole last season. He likely doesn’t have a lot of Daytona’s left in him so I expect him to leave it all out on the track. We’ll jump at the opportunity to get a previous winner at this price.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
2. 2009 Belmont Stakes Picks & Predictions
3. 2009 NFC North Predictions

It seems like the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series just ended, but it won’t be long now before we rev up our engines again. Jimmie Johnson took home the 2008 Sprint Cup Title, his third straight, and will look to go for a record fourth straight this season. The new season gets underway in early February and I can hardly wait for 51st running of the famed Daytona 500 on February 15th. Just two Sunday’s after the Super Bowl, we can claim the couch again for the Super Bowl of racing.

BetUS lists the NASCAR odds to win the Daytona 500 with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Busch all listed at +500 to win as the race day favorites.

Jeff Gordon earns favorite recognition here because he has won three Daytona 500 races. In 1997, Gordon became the youngest driver to ever win the race. He followed that up with another win in 1999 and another in 2005. Gordon usually gets plenty of betting attention and odds makers are figuring on as much here by listing him at this price. He doesn’t look like a very good choice, however, as he doesn’t give you much bang for your buck and wasn’t much of a threat last year with a 39th place finish.

After five straight years of Chevy’s dominating the Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Newman and his Dodge took the victory lap in 2008. Newman is listed at +3000 to win at BetUS. While it has not been done often, there have been a few drivers who have been able to win the race in consecutive years so perhaps Newman should not automatically get thrown out of your betting book. One of them to do so was the great Richard Petty. The great Cal Yarborough was also able to pull off the feat. It comes as no surprise that these drivers are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 for most all time Daytona 500 wins. The latest driver to win back-to-back Daytona’s was Sterling Martin in 1994 and 1995. Several other driver’s have won two in three years.

The guys who won the whole thing again in 2008, Jimmie Johnson, is listed at +800 among the favorites. Johnson has one Daytona 500 under his belt in 2006. He got off to a slow start in 2008 and therefore did not show well at Daytona, but I believe this young champion is hungry for a few more Daytona 500 wins before his career is threw and will likely bounce back strong in 2009.

Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 in 2007 but is yet to earn major respect from odds makers. Harvick is listed at +2000 to win at BetUS. Harvick was a marked man after winning Daytona in 2007 and it showed as he was unable to win any races last season. But he still ran well and finished with best season since 2006.

2009 Odds to Win the Daytona 500

Aric Almirola +8500
Bobby Labonte +8500
Brian Vickers +4000
Carl Edwards +1200
Casey Mears +4000
Clint Bowyer +3000
Dale Earnhardt Jr +500
David Gilliland +5000
David Ragan +2500
David Reutimann +5000
David Stremme +5000
Denny Hamlin +1200
Elliott Sadler +5000
Greg Biffle +3000
Jamie McMurray +3000
Jeff Burton +2500
Jeff Gordon +500
Jimmie Johnson +800
Joey Logano +3000
Juan Pablo Montoya +3000
Kasey Kahne +3500
Kevin Harvick +2000
Kurt Busch +2000
Kyle Busch +500
Mark Martin +1500
Martin Truex Jr +3000
Matt Kenseth +2500
Michael Waltrip +5000
Reed Sorenson +8500
Ryan Newman +3000
Scott Speed +8500
Tony Stewart +1200
Travis Kvapil +8500
Field +2000

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Predictions
2. Odds to Win the 2009 Kentucky Derby
3. 2009 British Open Betting Odds

I believe only the best NASCAR drivers have a good shot at winning on the road courses because they are so different from all of the other tracks. What we will likely see this week is drivers like Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne struggling like they always do on the roads, which will hurt their chances, while drivers like Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman will gain in the “Race for the Chase” because they generally do well on the roads.

For handicapping purposes we have to look at the past success of drivers at both road course tracks. Despite both of the road courses having their own unique characteristics, we have found that drivers who do well on one also excel on the other.

Over the last 11 seasons, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have basically won every road course race. Gordon claims nine road course wins and Stewart has posted six. Four of Stewarts six wins have come at Watkins Glen, including one last season when he took advantage of a rare Gordon mishap. Gordon was leading with two laps to go before spinning out of control around turn one to give the win to Stewart.

2008 has been a much different year for Stewart though. At Sonoma, he was never even a factor and I’m beginning to think his mediocre season could result in no wins. When he won at Watkins Glen in 2007, it was his third win in four races, but he has not kicked things in high gear down the stretch the way he has in the past.

Because of Stewart’s struggles, we’ll take a nice long look at Jeff Gordon this week at +450 at Sportsbook.com.

Robby Gordon is another driver who will generate some interest because of his past success in road course races (he swept them both in 2003). The public doesn’t even seem to care that his equipment is far inferior to the top drivers on the circuit as they continue to bet him in these road races. At +1000 at Sportsbook.com, Robby Gordon is clearly overvalued.

Other drivers to look at are Jimmy Johnson and Ryan Newman. Johnson has transformed himself into a respectable road course driver, probably thanks to Jeff Gordon’s help. Because Watkins Glen does not require the drivers to be quite as technical as Sonoma, Johnson will have his best chance to capture a road course win here. Ryan Newman has also proved himself in these races and he is a solid value bet at +4000 at Sportsbook.com. Another notable is Jamie McMurray who is the best on the roads from the Roush stable. He has been given good cars the last two season and is another solid value bet at +3000.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #24 Jeff Gordon +450
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson +1500
3) #18 Kyle Busch +800
4) #20 Tony Stewart +450
5) #12 Ryan Newman +4000

Complete list of odds to win Centurion Boats at the Glen at Sportsbook.com:

AJ Allmendinger +10000

Aric Almirola +10000

Bobby Labonte +10000

Boris Said +3000

Brian Vickers +10000

Carl Edwards +1500

Casey Mears +10000

Clint Bowyer +5000

Dale Earnhardt Jr +3500

David Gilliland +10000

David Ragan +10000

Denny Hamlin +1500

Elliott Sadler +5000

Greg Biffle +3000

Jamie McMurray +3000

Jeff Burton +4000

Jeff Gordon +450

Jimmie Johnson +1500

Juan Pablo Montoya +800

Kasey Kahne +7500

Kevin Harvick +1500

Kurt Busch +2000

Kyle Busch +800

Marcos Ambrose +1500

Martin Truex Jr +7500

Matt Kenseth +10000

Patrick Carpentier +3000

Robby Gordon +1000

Ron Fellows +2500

Ryan Newman +4000

Sam Hornish Jr +10000

Tony Stewart +450

Travis Kvapil +10000

Field (Any Other Driver) +1500

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
2. 2009 Indy 500 Odds & Predictions
3. 2009 Daytona 500 Predictions

The last time NASCAR visited Michigan International Speedway back in June, we saw one of the best finishes on the 2008 season with Dale Earnhardt Jr. running on fumes to victory lane. The win broke a 76-race winless streak for one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers. Chevy also had to get a thrill out of Junior’s win as it was the manufacturer’s first win at Michigan in 13 races and it came in the home state of Chevrolet.

Junior may have broke the Chevy snide, but we can’t hide from the fact that Michigan has been a Ford track. Roush racing has set the benchmark at this track in recent history with Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Matt Kensenth, and Carl Edwards all taking checkered flags at Michigan. In fact, Roush Racing is second all-time in Michigan victories with 10.

Since Junior got the Ford monkey off everyone else’s back at Michigan, I like Chevy to pull off the season sweep here with last year’s Cup champ Jimmie Johnson taking the checkered. The win would be Johnson’s first of his career in Michigan, but this talented driver is due here. Ford’s will not get left in the dust, however, as I expect a whole lot of them to follow him up.

It really is dumbfounding to think that a driver as talented as Johnson has not been able to win on a track like Michigan in his career. He has 13 starts at the track and only two top five finishes. On paper, Michigan appears to be a track that he and his Hendrick Motor Sports team should excel on. Last year’s Cup Champ is currently ranked third. Johnson has two wins this season, including one at the Brickyard a few weeks back that we were all over. I look for Junior’s breakthrough win in June to pave the way for Johnson to get the Michigan monkey off of his back in this race.

We can expect the Roush Ford to all be near the front chasing Johnson. A possible breakthrough win by David Ragan is not out of the question this week. We’ve definitely think he is worth a shot at +2500 at Sportsbook.com. Ragan has a pair of top five finishes in his last five starts. After a disappointing performance last week, we expect Ragan to continue his emergence. For matchup players, look for Roush to clean up in nearly every scenario.

With the race for the chase heating up, make sure you’re checking out Jimmy Boyd’s NASCAR odds and predictions each and every week. And do your NASCAR betting at Sportsbook.com.

Top 5 Finish prediction:

#48 Jimmie Johnson +600
#99 Carl Edwards +600
#9 Kasey Kahne +800
#17 Matt Kenseth +700
#6 David Ragan +25000

Complete list of 3M Performance 400 Odds at Sportsbook.com

AJ Allmendinger +10000

Bobby Labonte +10000

Brian Vickers +2000

Carl Edwards +600

Casey Mears +10000

Clint Bowyer +5000

Dale Earnhardt Jr +1000

Dave Blaney +10000

David Gilliland +10000

David Ragan +2500

David Reutimann +10000

Denny Hamlin +1500

Elliott Sadler +6000

Greg Biffle +1200

Jamie McMurray +7500

Jeff Burton +3000

Jeff Gordon +1500

Jimmie Johnson +600

Juan Pablo Montoya +10000

Kasey Kahne +800

Kevin Harvick +3000

Kurt Busch +5000

Kyle Busch +600

Mark Martin +3000

Martin Truex Jr +3000

Matt Kenseth +700

Michael Waltrip +10000

Paul Menard +10000

Reed Sorenson +10000

Ryan Newman +5000

Sam Hornish Jr +10000

Tony Stewart +1000

Travis Kvapil +10000

zx Field (Any Other Driver) +2500

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
2. 2009 Daytona 500 Predictions
3. 2009 Bob Hope Classic Odds & Predictions

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Usually the day race at Bristol, run in March, is a much tamer event, but this year’s edition actually got pretty heated. That has us expecting much, much more drama in the night version.

The night race at Bristol has traditionally seen battles and fights between bitter rivals who will never lift their grudges. The track’s layout can be the considered the cause of some of this drama. Because of the banking, it is considered the fastest half-mile track in the world. When you get drivers traveling bumper to bumper at these speeds, making it very difficult to pass, it is only a matter of time before road rage takes over.

The fact that the race is at night only seems to add fuel to the fire. Drivers are used to racing in the afternoon, so I suppose waiting until night has many of these guys very overanxious to get out on the track. Or maybe they just want to put on a good show for the primetime audience.

We’ll take a quick look at what transpired back in the March race to help us handicap this night cap. In March, all three of the Childress cars finished in the top three with Jeff Burton taking the checkered flag. Six overtime laps essentially cost Denny Hamlin the race. Burton had the fresher tires and was able to take him on the re-start. The drama I was talking about earlier occurred when Kevin Harvick, who finished second, punted Tony Stewart with just two laps remaining to cause the caution and to cost Hamlin the checkered.

The Gibbs tandem of Stewart and Hamlin led 365 of the 506 laps run. Burton led just two laps, but that was enough to get the “W”. It is very likely that we will see the same group of drivers competing for a win again this time around at Bristol. I think Tony Stewart has it in him to get his first win of the season here and I won’t be surprised one bit if he’s the one causing the havoc on the track.

Harvick and Stewart call themselves friends and both took the blame after their mix up in the first Bristol go-around. But Stewart has changed his tune since seeing the race replay. Harvick has been good throughout his career at Bristol and will likely be in a position for Stewart to get his revenge.

Clint Bowyer is another driver to take a look at. He led 81 laps in the March race and finished in the third position for the second straight Bristol affair.

TOP 5 Bristol Finish Prediction:

#20 Tony Stewart +800
2- #29 Kevin Harvick +1000
3-#11 Denny Hamlin +800
4- #18 Kyle Busch +500
5- #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr +800

Complete list of odds to win Sharpie 500 at BetUS

AJ Allmendinger +10000

Aric Almirola +10000

Bobby Labonte +10000

Brian Vickers +5000

Carl Edwards +500

Casey Mears +10000

Clint Bowyer +3000

Dale Earnhardt Jr +800

Dave Blaney +10000

David Gilliland +10000

David Ragan +7500

David Reutimann +10000

Denny Hamlin +800

Elliott Sadler +6000

Greg Biffle +1500

Jamie McMurray +10000

Jeff Burton +1800

Jeff Gordon +1200

Jimmie Johnson +2000

Juan Pablo Montoya +10000

Kasey Kahne +1000

Kevin Harvick +1000

Kurt Busch +1500

Kyle Busch +500

Martin Truex Jr +4000

Matt Kenseth +1000

Michael Waltrip +10000

Paul Menard +10000

Reed Sorenson +10000

Ryan Newman +4000

Sam Hornish Jr +10000

Tony Stewart +800

Travis Kvapil +10000

zx Field (Any Other Driver) +2500

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
2. 2009 Daytona 500 Predictions
3. 2009 Indy 500 Odds & Predictions

Just how dominant has Chevy been in plate races? I’ll put it to you this way. Coming into this season, only three restrictor plate races have been won by a manufacturer other than Chevy since 2001. At four plate races a season, Ford and Dodge aren’t getting the job done.

Some experts thought that the Car of Tomorrow could help even the field because the aerodynamics the car were so different. I mean, this seemed more feasible than Dodge and Ford teams gaining ground just by the new body design of the car when super teams like Hendrick Motorsports have been dominating for seven years. In the final plate race of 2007, the COT was ran and the results were the same as they were in the spring race at Talladega – Jeff Gordon first and Jimmie Johnson second.

Chevy and Hendrick seemed to be the team to beat heading into the 2008 season, especially after signing the biggest free agent in NASCAR history and one of the best plate race drivers in the world – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior, Gordon, and Johnson have combined to dominate with 16 plate race wins in Chevy cars since 2000.

Let’s build up the story a little more. Junior showed off his plate race skills and his new equipment at Daytona in February by winning both the Bud Shootout and one of the Gatorade qualifying races. With this early success, Junior’s Dayton 500 odds dropped as low as 2/1 in some Vegas sportsbooks. But when the Dayton 500 finished, no Chevy car was in victory lane. It came as an even bigger surprise that only one Chevy was in the top 12. Instead, two Penske Dodge’s finished one and two with two Gibbs Toyota’s right behind.

When Talladega came around, Chevy’s dominance still got most of the pub, but quietly some were wondering if Joe Gibbs and his Toyota’s could be as fast as they were during Dayton Speedweeks. We quickly found out that the answer was yes! Kyle Busch won the race with Denny Hamlin finishing third. Tony Stewart led the most laps during the race but was involved in an accident that cost him the checkered.

So, as look ahead to Saturday night’s race at Daytona, we have to think that Gibbs will be in the driver’s seat again. Weirder things have happened, like Jamie McMurray winning this race last year, but based on what we know, Gibbs is the way to go.

Junior has ran well in both plate races this season, but he hasn’t been in the same league as the Gibbs cars. Tony Stewart has been unstoppable in July Daytona races, winning in 2005 and 2006. He traditionally kicks things in high gear this time of year and I like him to get his first win of the season.

TOP 5 Finish prediction:

1) #20 Tony Stewart 6 – 1

2) #11 Denny Hamlin 10 – 1

3) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 6 – 1

4) #18 Kyle Busch 5 -1

5) #07 Clint Bowyer 25 -1

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Predictions
2. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
3. 2009 Indy 500 Odds & Predictions

The Chicago track has sold out each of the last seven years, filling all 90,000 seats, so the atmosphere figures to be electric once again. While the race track’s dimensions give it the appearance of just another cookie cutter track, the history of top performers here do not line up with those at other cookie cutter courses like Jimmie Johnson and the Roush boys. In a bizarre twist, Childress driver Kevin Harvick actually has the best average finish in the track’s seven year existence. The Childress program and Havick may not be the best on any other track, but they have proven themselves in Chicago.

Mr. Harvick won the first two races at Chicago back in 2001 and he has finished fourth the last two seasons. The only driver to even come close to Harvick’s domination has been Tony Stewart. Stewart has pulled off two wins in the race track’s short history including one in last year’s event.

Stewart has not won a race yet this season, but we know that this is the part of the year when he really starts to take off. However, the uncertainty of his future may throw a wrinkle into things the way it did for Dale Jr. last season. Stewart has plenty of questions on the brain that reporters bombard him with week after week. Is Joe Gibbs going to let him out of his contract? Will he drive for Chevy again? Where will he be next year? Stewart doesn’t appear to be the type of guy to let a little controversy bog him down, but the fact is that he is winless in 2008 while his teammates have combined to win seven races.

Besides Stewart and Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne seem to be obvious choices because of the track’s layout. And, of course, Kyle Busch can never be completely factored out with the success he has had this season.

Kahne has win at Charlotte and Pocono this season which could be a link to the Chicago track considering that Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart both had success in all three places in 2003. Newman won at Chicago and Pocono that year and Stewart finished second at Chicago and won at Charlotte and Pocono. While the connection seems slight, I’m buying the correlation. These are the type of threads that have made our NASCAR picks a success for years and we won’t turn on them now.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth are two more strong possibilities. Earnhardt has had a great comeback season and Kenseth is among the race favorites with three top five finishes and nine top tens this season.

Boyd’s Top Five

1) #9 Kasey Kahne 15-1
2) #20 Tony Stewart 8-1
3) #17 Matt Kenseth 7-1
4) #99 Carl Edwards 7-1
5) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 8-1

AJ Allmendinger 100 – 1
Bobby Labonte 100 – 1
Brian Vickers 15 – 1
Carl Edwards 7 – 1
Casey Mears 75 – 1
Clint Bowyer 30 – 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 8 – 1
Dave Blaney 100 – 1
David Gilliland 100 – 1
David Ragan 30 – 1
David Reutimann 100 – 1
Denny Hamlin 15 – 1
Elliott Sadler 50 – 1
Greg Biffle 10 – 1
Jamie McMurray 50 – 1
Jeff Burton 30 – 1
Jeff Gordon 15 – 1
Jimmie Johnson 7 – 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 100 – 1
Kasey Kahne 15 – 1
Kevin Harvick 30 – 1
Kurt Busch 40 – 1
Kyle Busch 6 – 1
Mark Martin 40 – 1
Martin Truex Jr 30 – 1
Matt Kenseth 7 – 1
Michael Waltrip 100 – 1
Paul Menard 100 – 1
Reed Sorenson 100 – 1
Ryan Newman 40 – 1
Sam Hornish Jr 100 – 1
Tony Stewart 8 – 1
Travis Kvapil 100 – 1
Field (Any Other Driver) 25 – 1

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
2. 2009 Daytona 500 Predictions
3. NFL Odds: 2008 Wild Card Weekend

Looking to what drivers have don at Richmond and Phoenix is the best way to predict what they’ll do at Loudon as all three race tracks drive very similarly. History has shown us time and time again that if a driver is good on one of these tracks, he’ll be good on all three no matter what era or model of car.

Last season, Jimmie Johnson was the man to beat on these tracks as we won three of the six combined spring and fall races at Loudon, Richmond, and Phoenix. The year before, Kevin Harvick won four of the six races. Since New Hampshire started hosting two races a year, 2001 marks the only time where there was no multiple winners in these six races.

The driver I have my eyes on this week may surprise you at first since he has not won at Phoenix or Richmond already this season. That means I’m not taking Jimmie Johnson or Clint Bowyer. The car who was the most dominant in both of those races, but just couldn’t quite get the job done, belonged to Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin finished third at Phoenix as Johnson’s fuel gamble led him to the win. Hamlin led 381 laps of the Richmond race before he endured the misfortune of a flat tire. When Hamlin was out of the mix, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. battled it out for the win, nearly wrecking each other. When they bobbed and slowed to regain control of their cars, Bowyer sneaked in for the win.

These scenarios point out why we can’t just blindly take a winner at one of the other tracks in this three-track combo without examining what actually happened in the races. Like Hamlin, Junior ran well at both Richmond and Phoenix this season despite how the final results read and he also has several wins at both tracks in his career.

Another driver that fits my criteria is Mark martin who was leading at Phoenix before having to pit at the end of the race. He ended up finishing fifth and then followed that up with a third place finish at Richmond. The issue this week is that Martin will be stepping aside for rookie Aric Almirola. We can be assured that the rookie will have a good car and decent shot at winning with longshot odds.

The other good car at D.E.I. will be driven by Martin Truex Jr. who has ran in the top ten in both previous races we’ve been discussing.

Kyle Busch will be Hamlin’s toughest competitor this week for other reasons than the fact that he’s been the man to beat all year. In six starts at Loudon, Busch has three top five finishes, including a win.

TOP 5 Finish prediction:

1-#11 Denny Hamlin (7/1)
2-#18 Kyle Busch (5/1)
3-#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (8/1)
4-#1 Martin Truex Jr (18/1)
5-#07 Clint Bowyer (15/1)

Complete list of odds from Sportsbook.com

AJ Allmendinger 100 – 1

Aric Almirola 60 – 1

Bobby Labonte 100 – 1

Brian Vickers 35 – 1

Carl Edwards 7 – 1

Casey Mears 100 – 1

Clint Bowyer 15 – 1

Dale Earnhardt Jr 8 – 1

Dave Blaney 100 – 1

David Gilliland 100 – 1

David Ragan 40 – 1

David Reutimann 100 – 1

Denny Hamlin 7 – 1

Elliott Sadler 60 – 1

Greg Biffle 15 – 1

Jamie McMurray 75 – 1

Jeff Burton 25 – 1

Jeff Gordon 12 – 1

Jimmie Johnson 7 – 1

Juan Pablo Montoya 100 – 1

Kasey Kahne 25 – 1

Kevin Harvick 15 – 1

Kurt Busch 35 – 1

Kyle Busch 5 – 1

Martin Truex Jr 18 – 1

Matt Kenseth 15 – 1

Michael Waltrip 100 – 1

Paul Menard 100 – 1

Reed Sorenson 100 – 1

Ryan Newman 35 – 1

Sam Hornish Jr 100 – 1

Tony Stewart 8 – 1

Travis Kvapil 100 – 1

Field (Any Other Driver) 25 – 1

Related posts:

1. 2009 Daytona 500 Odds
2. NFL Odds: 2008 Wild Card Weekend
3. 2008 Emerald Bowl Predictions – Cal v. Miami Football Odds & Picks

Only the best of the best have what it takes to win at the Brickyard. Of the 14 NASCAR races there, only two have been won by a driver who does not have a NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Six times, the driver who won at Indy kept right on rolling to the NASCAR Cup Series title. In other words, you better pucker up nice and kiss those lucky bricks will all you’ve got as it apparently means something.

Kyle Busch is the 6-1 favorite at Sportsbook.com and it looks like he’s going to win the championship. His season is closely resembling Jeff Gordon’s dominant 1998 season. He has also run well at the Brickyard with 10th, 7th, and 4th place finishes on racing’s hollowed ground.

Jeff Gordon is getting great value at 15-1 odds. Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 and has won three more since. No one else comes close to his four career wins here. He can never be counted out in this race.

Tony Stewart is a cup champ and is the defending champ of this race. With two Brickyard wins, he is tied with Dale Jarrett for second most. There’s some cause for concern surrounding Stewarts off the track issues, but he looked good in Chicago two weeks ago and is famous for his late runs. Stewart is from Indiana and winning this race means more to him than perhaps any of the drivers.

Jimmie Johnson is the guy that I think the rest of the field is going to have to beat. After all, he fits the race criteria best. He is a two-time Cup champ and won at Indy in 2006. He has only one win this season, but he has ran better than that indicates. At 7-1 odds, he is a strong option. There are also strong correlations between this race track and the Pocono track. I love knowing that Johnson and Kasey Kahne are bringing the same chassis that they led the most laps with at Pocono in June.

Kahne was dominant at Pocono, taking his second win of the season. He’s cooled off a bit since, but the tracks have been very diverse. A return to a fast track should get Kahne back in the mix.

Brian Vickers’ Toyota ran very well at Pocono also. He likely would have won the race but Kahne had fresher tires. With odds in the 18-1 range, we’ll take a long, hard look at him. He’s been very close to winning several times this season and is a nice middle range bet.

It is definitely worth noting that In 2007, six of the top 11 finishers at June’s Pocono race went on to finish in the top 11 at the Brickyard.

Juan Pablo Montoya is being undervalued at 50-1 odds, considering that he is an Indy 500 champ and has a 4th place finish at the Brickyard in the Formula Ones U.S. Grand Prix. With lots of experience on this track, he could pull off a major upset.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #48 Jimmie Johnson 7-1

2) #20 Tony Stewart 7-1

3) #9 Kasey Kahne 7-1

4) #18 Kyle Busch 6-1

5) #83 Brian Vickers 18-1

Complete list of Allstate 400 odds by Sportsbook.com

AJ Allmendinger 100 – 1

Bobby Labonte 100 – 1

Brian Vickers 18 – 1

Carl Edwards 8 – 1

Casey Mears 100 – 1

Clint Bowyer 30 – 1

Dale Earnhardt Jr 12 – 1

Dave Blaney 100 – 1

David Gilliland 100 – 1

David Ragan 30 – 1

David Reutimann 100 – 1

Denny Hamlin 10 – 1

Elliott Sadler 60 – 1

Greg Biffle 15 – 1

Jamie McMurray 75 – 1

Jeff Burton 25 – 1

Jeff Gordon 15 – 1

Jimmie Johnson 7 – 1

Juan Pablo Montoya 50 – 1

Kasey Kahne 7 – 1

Kevin Harvick 20 – 1

Kurt Busch 40 – 1

Kyle Busch 6 – 1

Mark Martin 25 – 1

Martin Truex Jr 25 – 1

Matt Kenseth 10 – 1

Michael Waltrip 100 – 1

Paul Menard 100 – 1

Reed Sorenson 100 – 1

Ryan Newman 50 – 1

Sam Hornish Jr 100 – 1

Tony Stewart 7 – 1

Travis Kvapil 100 – 1

Field (Any Other Driver) 50 – 1

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2. Fresno State/San Jose State Friday Night Best Bet for November 21, 2008
3. 2008 Poinsettia Bowl Odds – Boise State v. TCU Football Picks & Predictions

If you look at the most popular golfers in the PGA and NASCAR, you would find Tiger Woods and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. However, Jr, has been on a terrible run when it comes to winning races. Tiger on the other hand wins more than his fair share of tournaments, but the odds on him are normally terrible. That is why books are now offering Tiger against the field options, or if you take Tiger out of the equation then betting the field has a lot of options because unknowns come out of nowhere to take a tournament title.

In both NASCAR and golf you see someone come out of nowhere to win a race or tournament, then they disappear again back into the oblivion. It happens all the time. Both sports are unpredictable so betting on the field can be a valuable proposition. So remember next time that doing NASCAR or golf betting it may be fun betting on your favorite driver or golfer, but taking the field can be a great way to earn a few extra dollars on the weekend.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Memorial Tournament Betting Odds
2. 2009 US Open Betting Odds
3. 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational Betting Odds