NASCAR Betting Preview – Stewart, Gordon renew rivalry at The Glen
Bet Sports online - Tony Stewart (+475), Jeff Gordon (+500), Kyle Busch (+800), Juan Pablo Montoya (+850)
- Stewart, Gordon look to familiar place to end winless streaks
- Busch aims to sweep the road courses
- Montoya out to prove road-course prowess
While there are only two road courses in the Sprint Cup series, they are often some of the most exciting races of the season. This week's event, The Centurion Boats at the Glen, which is held at Watkins Glen International, should be no exception. Tony Stewart is the defending champion in this event, as he took advantage of an uncharacteristic late mistake by Jeff Gordon, and NASCAR offshore sportsbook odds say “Smoke” will win his first race since visiting The Glen last year.
Stewart is the favorite with +475 NASCAR odds, with four career wins at The Glen and a finishing average of 6.1 in nine races at this track. The No.20 driver has had an eventful season with his impending exit from JGR, but he has had some bad luck which has robbed him of, at least, two wins. If there is any place that Stewart could break his cold streak, it is at The Glen.
Gordon is tied with Stewart for the most wins at The Glen with four, along with a 12.4 finishing average in 15 races. The four-time series champion had this race sewn up before spinning out in Turn 1, which allowed Stewart to grab the lead. Gordon is one of the big names left without a win this season, but he is fantastic on road courses, and with NASCAR betting odds of +500, he should have his Chevrolet near the front of the pack.
Points leader Kyle Busch comes in at +800 as he claimed his first win on a road course at Sonoma earlier this year, and only fuel mileage caused the No.18 Toyota to come in 36th last week at Pocono. Busch has a 16.3 finishing average in three races at The Glen, and now he has the luxury of racing for wins with a sizable lead in the standings and a place booked in the Chase.
A win at The Glen would be a huge bright spot in a disappointing season for Juan Pablo Montoya, who had a great start but has racked up four finishes of 32nd or worse in his last five starts. The No.42 driver's only Cup win came last year on the road course at Sonoma, and he was making his way through the field before he tangled with Kevin Harvick in one of the season's most entertaining clips. Because of his prowess on road courses, Montoya has NASCAR betting odds of +850.
Lee-Roy's Analysis: Stewart and Gordon have long been the best road-course racers in NASCAR's top series, despite the fact that some teams bring in the “ringers”, which are drivers who specialize in road courses. I expect these two to race for the win once again, and it pains me to do this, but Gordon will make amends for last season's mistake and take the checkered flag at The Glen on Sunday.
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.
