NASCAR Betting - Hamlin set to give JGR back-to-back wins
Sports betting lines have been set for the Southern 500, which takes place at Darlington Raceway aka “The Lady In Black” – one of the toughest tracks in NASCAR because it’s curved differently at each end of the 1.4-mile track. Kyle Busch is the sportsbook favorite after winning last year’s race as well as last week’s event at Richmond, but it’s a teammate of his that he should be checking his rearview mirror for.
- WHAT: The Southern 500
- WHEN: Saturday, May 9, 7:20 PM ET
- WHERE: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC
- KEY STATS: Denny Hamlin’s 6.3 finishing average is tops among active drivers
- PICK: Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Betting odds
Kyle Busch - +500
Jimmie Johnson - +600
Jeff Gordon - +700
Carl Edwards - +800
Tony Stewart - +1000
Kurt Busch - +1000
Greg Biffle - +1000
Denny Hamlin - +1000
Mark Martin - +1500
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - +1500
Busch is favored at +500 after winning his third race of the season last week, which ended a tough four-race stretch for the No.18 team. “Rowdy” showed a lot of maturity as his car wasn’t great to start the race, but instead of complaining, he gave the necessary information to his crew chief to make adjustments. Of course, Busch hasn’t lost his aggressiveness, shoving the slower Brian Vickers out of his way.
Again, Denny Hamlin led the most laps at his hometown track of Richmond, but a bad pit stop put him back in the field late in the race and he never recovered. Hamlin comes in at +1000 this week, and NASCAR betting players need to consider the No.11 driver; in three starts at Darlington, he’s never finished outside the top 10, and Hamlin’s 6.3 finishing average is the best among active drivers.
Jimmie Johnson is right behind Busch with NASCAR betting odds of +600, and he’s got a pair of Darlington wins to his name. The three-time series champion is coming off a tough outing at Richmond in which he was penalized three times for various infractions, and his 36th-place finish is his worst of the season. Johnson’s 7.4 finishing average in 10 Darlington races is second to only Hamlin, and he’ll be eager to erase last weekend.
The Stewart-Haas team has exceeded all expectations so far this year, and both drivers, Tony Stewart (second) and Ryan Newman (fourth), finished in the top-5 at Richmond. Stewart has decent NASCAR betting odds of +1000, and a 13.0 average at Darlington which places him sixth. Newman’s 13.3 is ninth among active drivers, and he offers great sportsbook value at +2500.
Of course, we have to mention Mr. Darlington, Jeff Gordon, who has NASCAR betting odds of +700. The No.24 driver has seven wins on the “Track Too Tough To Tame”, and after falling off during the race, Gordon recovered for an eighth-place finish at Richmond. However, a lot of attention is being paid to Gordon’s back, as he revealed that he’s been suffering from back pain for the last year.
Lee-Roy’s Pick: Darlington is so tough because one end of the track is set up like a normal speedway, but the other end is egg-shaped due to a pond that couldn’t be relocated when they built the track in 1949. Therefore, it’s difficult to set the car up to handle well at both ends of the track.
This week’s winner will be Denny Hamlin, who will give JGR its second straight win. Hamlin was incredibly disappointed last week, and he’ll be driving with something to prove. At +1000, he also offers online betting players better value than the favorites. Make Denny Hamlin your NASCAR betting pick.
For more NASCAR lines, head to the sportsbook 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.
