NASCAR Betting - Ambrose will surprise at Infineon

NASCAR betting players don’t need a reason to get excited for the annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, one of two road-courses on the Sprint Cup schedule. Kyle Busch is the favorite in your offshore sportsbook, and he’s also the defending race-winner in this event, but there is another driver outside of the favorites that should be a pick for bettors.

Infineon Odds – Look for lots of bangin’ and tempers on Sunday

• Stewart, Gordon have dominated Infineon in the past
• Montoya is always a threat on road courses
• “Road-course ringers” don’t usually have much success here

Busch is favored by NASCAR lines at +450, and he has a solid record in Infineon odds, posting last year’s win along with another top 10 in four trips out west. It’s been either feast or famine for the No.18 driver this year, but that’s Kyle Busch: he either makes it to the front, or he falls off. Still, on any course, in any vehicle, you have to consider him.

Tony Stewart is next at +550, and last week’s seventh-place run at Michigan was his fifth top-seven finish in the last six races. “Smoke” won this race in 2001 and 2005, and last year’s 10th-place run was his sixth in nine trips to Infineon. Stewart’s 10.0 average is fifth among active drivers, and he’s trails teammate Ryan Newman, who could be a dark horse pick with Infineon odds of +2300. Newman has a 9.4 average and five top-10s in seven Infineon races.

Jeff Gordon holds the record with five wins at Infineon, and he also owns the qualifying-speed record, which he set in 2005. The No.24 driver has NASCAR odds of +550 after finishing second to teammate Mark Martin at Michigan, and his 9.3 average places him above behind Stewart and Newman.

Juan Pablo Montoya also has sports betting odds of +550, and in two Infineon races, the No.42 driver has a win and a sixth-place run to his name, while his 3.5 average is far and away the best among active drivers. Montoya has driven just about every type of car on the planet, and he’s probably the best in NASCAR at using his brakes in the tight turns at road courses, which is due to his open-wheel background.

Other drivers for NASCAR betting players to consider are Robby Gordon (+1100), Mark Martin (+1800), Clint Bowyer (+2300) and the trio of “road course ringers” (drivers brought in by teams specifically for road races), Ron Fellows (+1800), Boris Said (+2500) and Patrick Carpentier (+2500). Gordon won here in 2003, but his aggressive style has led to three DNFs. Bowyer’s 8.0 average is second among active drivers, and he finished fourth here last year. Martin won here in 1997 and is coming off a fuel-mileage win in Michigan, and he is now tied with Busch for the series lead with three wins. As for Fellows, Said and Carpentier, “ringers” have never won a race in Infineon odds, and their unfamiliarity with stock cars is the reason why.

Lee-Roy’s Pick: This week’s winner will be Marcus Ambrose, who has NASCAR odds of +1300, and the No.47 came into the series as one of those “ringers”. But he’s catching on quickly in stock cars, and he would like to avenge last year’s 42nd-place run at Infineon, when he was spun out by Elliot Sadler while running in the top three. His background of Supercars in Australia gives him a definite advantage over most of the competition, and he offers great value to those who are doing some sportsbook betting. Go with Marcus Ambrose this week.

For more NASCAR lines and odds, check out the sportsbook at BetOnline.com.

Born in the betting capital of Las Vegas, Lee-Roy has grown to appreciate the likes of IndyCar and Formula 1 racing, but his first love is the high-speed ovals of NASCAR and he is a HUGE Tony Stewart fan. When it comes to motorsports handicapping, Buckles takes the checkered flag. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.