posted September 17, 2009 at 10:45 EST in NASCAR Betting Trends
The NASCAR Sprint Cup - Sylvania 300 from New Hampshire
by BetUS Staff
The Chase is on. NASCAR betting pulls into the New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend for the Sylvania 300. The 1-mile oval is the opening race of NASCAR's playoffs, the Chase for the Championship, and two teammates are the favorites with sportsbooks.
In pursuit of his fourth straight Chase title, Jimmie Johnson comes into New Hampshire a +400 favorite. The No. 48 car limps into the playoffs off two disappointing runs. Johnson has started in the second row in back-to-back races but settled for finishes of 36th and 11th. He's hoping his recent success at Loudon can get him off to a good start. Johnson has finished inside the Top 10 in five straight races at New Hampshire and posts an average finish of 9.9 in 15 starts there. Johnson is at +250 to win the Cup championship.
His teammate Jeff Gordon is right behind him on the betting board, priced at +500 for this weekend's event. Gordon has 29 career starts at New Hampshire, with three wins and an average finish of 11th. The four-time Cup champion has yet to win since NASCAR switched to the Chase format in 2004. The famous No. 24 car is at +400 to win this year's Chase and is coming off a third-place showing at the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 last Saturday
Last weekend's winner, Denny Hamlin, took his experience at his home track in Richmond all the way to victory lane. Hamlin has had comparative success at Loudon, posting one win and five Top-10 showings in just seven career starts and is listed at +700 for Sunday's race. The No. 11 car is priced at +800 to win the Chase for the Championship and, if he stays hot, could be a solid sleeper pick. Hamlin has finished inside the Top 10 in six straight races – in two of which he claimed the checkered flag.
Also priced at +700 is Tony Stewart. The driver/owner must find his midseason form after posting an average finish of 19.5 in his last four races. Stewart clinched a spot in the championship early and coasted in the final races of the schedule. If Stewart is going to snap out of this funk, New Hampshire is the place to do it. In 21 starts at Loudon, he has two wins and has finished inside the Top 10 in four of his last six races there. The No. 14 car is at +300 to claim the Cup title.
Veteran driver Mark Martin hung on to his place in the Chase last weekend and is listed at +800 for the Sylvania 300. Martin was under pressure last Saturday but claimed the pole position, led three laps, and took fourth place. Things don't look good for this weekend with New Hampshire on the schedule. Martin has just two Top 10 finishes in his last 11 races there and has yet to claim a checkered flag in 25 career starts at the 1-mile oval.
The Busch brothers, Kurt and Kyle, are both priced at +900 for this Sunday's NASCAR betting event. Kurt Busch is among the Top 12 drivers in the Chase and is listed as a +2000 longshot to win his second Cup title. He's coming off a second-place finish at Richmond last weekend and has placed inside the Top 6 in his last three runs at Loudon – including a win in June 2008.
Kyle Busch missed the Chase cut by finishing 13th in points. Despite his four wins on the year, Busch will have to watch the Chase through his windshield. He placed fifth at Richmond Saturday and has three Top 5 finishes in his last five races. However, drivers who have just missed out on the playoffs have been known to lose motivation going into their final races of the season. Busch has one win in seven starts at New Hampshire and an average finish of 17th place.
