NASCAR Betting - Hamlin will rule Pocono once again
This weekend’s sports betting odds for the Sprint Cup Series will shift to Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 500, and this is one of the strangest tracks in all of NASCAR. All three turns are modeled after a different track, and there is very little banking for a 2.5-mile track, meaning that there is no need for restrictor plates. Kasey Kahne is the defending race-winner in this event, which is the first of two summer races held at Pocono.
- WHAT: The Pocono 500
- WHEN: Sunday, June 7, 2:00 PM ET
- WHERE: Pocono Raceway, Pocono, PA
- KEY STATS: Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with three wins in the first race at Pocono
- PICK: Denny Hamlin
Jimmie Johnson is the favorite at +480 in your sportsbook, yet he needed to pull on his Superman cape in last week’s win at Dover, when he overcame eight cars in the last 30 laps after a bad pit stop and charged past Tony Stewart with two laps to go. Johnson had the dominant car after leading 298 laps, and he fully deserved to win the race. The No.48 driver won this race back in 2004 and he has five top-10s in seven trips here, running sixth in 2008.
Denny Hamlin swept the 2006 Pocono races, and he’s finished in the top 10 of all three early-summer races that he’s been to, including a third-place run last year. Hamlin was challenging for the lead at Dover before blowing a tire, which ended a streak of four straight top-15s. If he’s going to get it going anywhere, it’s Pocono, where he has NASCAR odds of +780 this week.
Stewart-Haas Racing is on fire as both drivers finished in the top 10 once again at Dover. Stewart did all he could to hold off Johnson with only two tires, while Ryan Newman rode in the top 10 all day and finished eighth. Stewart is rated at +1150, and he has seven top-10s in 10 early-summer races at Pocono, including a 2003 win. Newman is listed at +2000 and he’s had bad luck at Pocono, but the way he’s running right now, it’s tough to go against him if you’re betting online.
Don’t forget about last year’s winner, Kahne, who has NASCAR betting of +1300. Kahne has won two poles at Pocono and ranks in the top 10 in finishing average in this race, and he’s coming with a pair of top-10s in a row, including an impressive sixth-place run at Dover.
Lee-Roy’s Pick: Hendrick and Stewart-Haas has been the story of the season to date, winning six races so far (Hendrick) and running way better than anyone planned (Stewart-Haas). Kyle Busch is near the top of the NASCAR odds, but he struggles at Pocono. But his teammate, Hamlin, is a force here, and he’ll take the checkered flag. Last week’s blown tire was a tough hit of bad luck, but the No.11 team seems to have the setup figured out at Pocono, which is difficult because of the difference between all three turns. Take Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR odds on Sunday.
For more NASCAR betting odds and picks, 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.
