NASCAR Betting - Why you should follow the "Rocket Man" to Victory Lane
Online sports betting players will get treated to a show at Lowe’s Motor Speedway this Saturday night, as the 25th edition of the All-Star Race takes place under the lights. Kasey Kahne is the defending champion in this non-points race with a grand prize of $1 million, and it’s refreshing to see drivers racing for nothing but the win...and a big bag of cash.
- WHAT: 25th All-Star Race
- WHEN: Saturday, May 16, 7:30 PM ET
- WHERE: Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Charlotte, NC
- KEY STATS: Jimmie Johnson’s 5.0 All-Star average is the best among active drivers
- PICK: Ryan Newman
Jimmie Johnson is a co-favorite alongside Kyle Busch with sports betting lines of +700 for this race. Johnson has a pair of wins and six top-10s in seven All-Star races with a series-best average of 5.0 - not to mention the No.48 Lowe’s-sponsored driver has owned this track in recent years with five overall wins and an 8.9 average in 15 races at Lowe’s. Busch, on the other hand, has wrecked in all three All-Star races he’s been in, including a famous 2007 incident with his brother, Kurt.
Jeff Gordon is next at +800, and he leads all current drivers with three All-Star wins, the last of which came in 2001. The points leader has bounced back with a pair of top-10s after rough outings at Phoenix and Talladega. Not far behind is Hendrick teammate Mark Martin, who has NASCAR betting odds of +900 after winning last week at Darlington. The No.5 driver won this race in 1998, but he’s also hit-and-miss; in 10 All-Star races, Martin has four top-10s, but 5 DNFs.
Tony Stewart leads a trio of drivers with NASCAR betting odds of +1000, and like Martin, the No.14 driver has also been inconsistent in the All-Star Race. In 10 races, Stewart has six top-10s, but the other four races have resulted in wrecks. “Smoke” has five top-fours in the last six races, and this type of “win at all costs” race is right up his alley.
Kahne is a sportsbook dark horse to defend his title with odds of +1400, winning last year after only getting into the race by fan voting. The No.9 driver’s 23rd-place run at Darlington was his best in almost a month, but his fans shouldn’t worry about that too much; Kahne was running terribly before last year’s All-Star Race as well.
Lee-Roy’s Pick: This is always one of the most exciting races of the season as drivers are going for nothing but a victory and a big payday, so expect lots of wrecks. This week’s winner is a bit of a darkhorse as well, as Ryan Newman has NASCAR betting odds of +1400. The “Rocket Man” looks a lot like the driver who earned his nickname by winning eight races and 11 poles in 2003, as he has three straight top-5s to his credit. Newman also has five top-10s and a 2002 win in seven All-Star races. Look for him to notch the first victory of Stewart-Haas Racing’s career this week, and make Ryan Newman your NASCAR betting pick.
For more NASCAR lines, head to 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?
