NASCAR odds - Hendrick Motorsports should rule Martinsville
The Louisville Cardinals are still ruling the March Madness betting roost but, when it comes to this week’s NASCAR Martinsville odds, you can be sure Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will be near the top of the online betting pile. The Goody’s Fast Relief 500 will take place at the paper-clip shaped Martinsville Speedway, and few current drivers have mastered the half-mile track like the two Hendrick teammates. Denny Hamlin is the defending champion at this event.
Sports betting - NASCAR Martinsville odds: Gordon, Johnson figure to run well at Martinsville
- WHAT: Goody’s Fast Relief 500
- WHEN: Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, VA
- KEY STATS: Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have combined for three wins in this race
- PICK: Jeff Gordon
Johnson is coming off a third-place run at Bristol, where he doesn’t normally run well, and it was the call to stay out early in the race and get track position by crew chief Chad Knaus that was the key. Johnson’s 9.1 finishing average is third among current drivers, including a fourth-place finish in 2008, but only one of his five Martinsville wins have come in the spring.
Gordon was second to Hamlin last year, and his 5.6 finishing average in 10 Martinsville spring races is the best among active drivers. The No.24 driver has reached Victory Lane in two of the Martinsville spring races, and his five overall wins here is also the best mark among active drivers. Sportsbook players couldn’t go wrong with Gordon at Martinsville.
After a tough start, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been lurking around the top 10 recently, and Martinsville should be the place where he finally breaks through.”Junior” has a finishing average of 8.4 in nine Martinsville spring races, and he led a race-high 146 laps en route to a sixth-place finish.
Hamlin always performs well at his hometown track, as his 8.9 finishing average in seven overall trips to Martinsville is third behind Johnson and Gordon. However, despite his win last year, the No.11 driver’s finishing average of 13.7 is behind his 5.2 average in the fall race.
LEE-ROY'S PICK: All four Hendrick cars finished in the top 14 last week at Bristol, including three in the top six, and they’re coming to a track this team has dominated in the past. Hendrick cars have won nine of the last12 races at Martinsville, including six straight in the fall. Gordon’s leading the series in points by being consistent, as he has a finishing average of 5.4 so far this year, with a low finish of 13 in the Daytona 500. It’s time for the four-time champion’s 46-race winless streak to end, so bet on Jeff Gordon in this week’s NASCAR betting odds.
For more NASCAR betting as we head for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, bookmark the Betting Edge 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.
