Richmond Odds - Martin races into Chase at Chevy Rock & Roll 400
This week’s NASCAR odds come from Richmond International Raceway, as the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 signifies the last chance that drivers have to get into the 10-race Chase playoffs. Jimmie Johnson won last year’s fall race at Richmond, and Kyle Busch won here in the spring, but this week’s winner will cement his spot in the Chase.
Richmond Odds – Saturday, September 12, 7:30 PM ET Kyle Busch is the sports betting favorite at +600 after taking the checkered flag here in May, and after winning the Nationwide race the day before, it turned out to be a pretty good birthday weekend for the No.18 driver. An inconsistent middle third of the season has Busch 37 points out of the final Chase spot, but his fans should feel confident going into Richmond, where Busch has seven top-fives in nine overall races, and his 6.1 average is tops among all drivers. JGR teammate Denny Hamlin is next at +700, and the Virginia native led a race-high 148 laps in the spring race, but finished 14th after a late problem on pit road. Hamlin would love to get a win at his home track, and he has four top-10s in seven races here. Jimmie Johnson is also rated at +700, and he’s won the fall Richmond race two years in a row, but he struggled badly here in the spring, finishing 36th after a number of problems. Still, there hasn’t been anyone better in the Chase than Johnson over the last three years, and he likes to use Richmond to make a statement, so he has to be a consideration for Saturday night’s Richmond odds. Tony Stewart still has the points lead, but he hasn’t broken into the top 10 for three straight races after an amazing two-month run. The No.14 driver has been rated at +900 this week, and he has three wins at Richmond, but only one in the fall race, and that came in 1999. Your longshot picks come from drivers who are on the Chase bubble, as Clint Bowyer (+1200), Matt Kenseth (+2000) and Brian Vickers (+2500) will all be gunning for a much-needed win. Bowyer has a 12.0 average in three fall Richmond races, but he may be too far out of the race for a win to do anything. Kenseth holds onto the last spot in the Chase and won this race in 2002, and he finished 13th here in May. Vickers has eight straight finishes inside the top 12, but he has to do better than 31.6, which is his average in five fall Richmond races. LEE-ROY’S PICK: Mark Martin has finished fifth in the last two races at Richmond, and he has five top-10s in his last seven starts. Despite never visiting Victory Lane in 23 races here in the fall, the No.5 driver has 13 top-10s at Richmond. He sits 10th in the standings, and the 50-year-old would love nothing more than a win to lock himself into the Chase. At +900, he offers decent value for online betting players, so the smart wagering pick is Mark Martin.
For more props, odds and qualifying matchups as we head towards the Chase, visit the offshore sportsbook at BetOnline.com. Lee-Roy Buckles is BetOnline.com's racing expert.
