Michigan Odds - Older Busch brother will take the checkers at Michigan
Online betting players will switch gears from road racing back to ovals as the Sprint Cup series heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Carfax 400. Carl Edwards completed a sweep with a Cup win in 2008, but this week’s winner will be a driver that is often overshadowed by his little brother.
Michigan Odds – Busch wins second in three years at Michigan
- A Chevy hasn’t won this race since 1998
- Mark Martin won the June race by outlasting the field on fuel mileage
- Desperation ramps up with four races left until the Chase
Jimmie Johnson is the favorite with NASCAR betting odds of +400, but he hasn’t won in seven Carfax 400s, or in 15 overall trips to Michigan. He’s coming off a 12th-place run at Watkins Glen after starting on the pole, and his car just never responded all day on the slick road course. He was well on his way to winning here in June, leading 146 laps, but he ran out of gas at the end and fell to 22nd.
Tony Stewart is the king of Watkins Glen after winning his record fifth race there on Monday, and he’s rated at +700 this week. Stewart has seven top-10s in 10 Carfax 400s, and his 11.5 average is fifth among active drivers. The points leader finished seventh here in June, and he’s now finished in the top 10 in 10 straight races.
Mark Martin outlasted the field in terms of fuel in June to win this race for the third time, and his fifth overall at Michigan. The 50-year-old driver nicknamed “The Kid” is rated at +700 in your sportsbookalong with Stewart, and he has 15 top-10s in 23 editions of this race.
The Roush-Fenway trio of Greg Biffle (+800), Edwards (+900) and Matt Kenseth (+1800) have all won this race in the past, and they’re the top three in terms of average finish. Kenseth doesn’t have a top-10 in four races and is hanging onto the last spot in the Chase. Biffle has a pair of top-fives in three starts, while Edwards is coming off a third-place run at Watkins Glen, his best result on a road course. Edwards and Biffle finished in the top five in the June race here.
A pair of longshots to watch out for are Brian Vickers (+1800) and Juan Pablo Montoya (+2000), both of whom finished in the top 10 in the June race. Montoya hasn’t finished outside of the top 12 in straight races, while Vickers has five top-11 finishes in a row.
LEE-ROY’S PICK: This week’s winner finished eighth in the June race, and he has six top-10s in his last 10 races. Kurt Busch won this race back in 2007, spanking the field by leading 92 laps. Usually it’s little brother Kyle (+800) who gets all the attention, and many will be focused on him as he’s in danger of missing the Chase, while Kurt is pretty safe and can afford to go for wins now. He hasn’t been to Victory Lane since Atlanta, and he’s probably been the best driver this year that isn’t in a Hendrick car. At +1200, he also offers decent value, so you should go with Kurt Busch’s Michigan odds.
For more NASCAR odds and props as we head towards the Chase, visit the offshore 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.
