NASCAR odds – Jimmie Johnson favored to claim third straight championship
NASCAR odds: Chase for the Sprint Cup is underway
- Johnson looking for historic three-peat
- Edwards, Busch aim to dethrone the champion
- Biffle, Earnhardt Jr. still in title hunt
The Chase for the Sprint Cup got underway last week at New Hampshire, and now is a perfect time to look at the top contenders to capture the biggest prize in American motorsports. All of the talk during the regular season surrounded a pair of upstarts, but the defending two-time champion stepped up to put together a run to catapult him to the top of the NASCAR odds.
Jimmie Johnson is favored at +225 sports betting odds to become the first man since Cale Yarborough 20 years ago to win three straight championships in NASCAR’s highest series. Johnson has won two of his last three races, and finished second in the other. When the Chase rolls around, the No. 48 driver steps his game up.
Johnson has won 11 of 41 Chase races he has been in, and his four consecutive wins late last season propelled him to the title. Online sportsbook odds are just going to love the two-time defending champion.
Carl Edwards will be hot on Johnson’s tail after finishing third at New Hampshire last week, and his ability on the intermediate tracks—which make up half of the Chase tracks—gives him an advantage.
Edwards’ average finish of 8.2 on the intermediates is just ahead of Johnson’s 9.0, and he has eight top-10s in his last 10 starts, including three of his six wins. With NASCAR odds of +275, Edwards would love to add a Sprint Cup title to his 2007 Nationwide Championship.
Kyle Busch’s eight wins over the first 26 races gave him a nice lead over Edwards heading into the Chase, but this quickly evaporated when his sway bar broke 20 laps into the New Hampshire race, dropping him to eighth in the standings with a 34th-place finish.
Still, Busch has solid NASCAR odds of +400 to win his first championship, but he needs to remain calm, which is never easy for the talented yet temperamental 23-year-old they call “Rowdy”.
Greg Biffle put himself in the mix for the top online sportsbook odds with his win at New Hampshire, and the No. 16 driver now has NASCAR odds of +500 to win the championship. Biffle is second to Johnson with four wins in the Chase now, and he has three top-fives in his last five starts. “The Biff” seems to be peaking at just the right time, so don’t count out the No. 16 Ford team.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounds out the top contenders at +800, and the No. 88 team is competitive after a midseason slum which saw Junior fail to make the top-10 in seven straight races. Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth at New Hampshire, but a set of bad tires dropped him from a sizable lead, and it is things like this that keep happening to this team. The No. 88 team needs consistency keep its NASCAR odds up.
LEE-ROY'S PICK: The Chase will be fought on the intermediate tracks that make up five of the 10 races, so whoever can handle these best will put themselves out in front.
Busch was fantastic all year, but he may not be mature enough to handle the pressures of the Chase yet. Biffle and Earnhardt Jr. have been good all year, but not great. This leaves Johnson and Edwards, and this Chase could come down to the last lap of the last race at Homestead-Miami.
Johnson has the experience, but Edwards should be buoyed by his Nationwide Championship last season, and he’s been the most consistent driver all season. Bet on Carl Edwards to break Johnson’s stranglehold and claim his first Sprint Cup series title.
The BetOnline.com online sportsbook has all the odds, props and lines you need. Visit the Bettor’s Edge daily for tips and insight into every sport, including NASCAR odds.
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.
