Pocono Betting - Montoya gets revenge at Pocono

JIMMIE JOHNSON +500
TONY STEWART +600
MARK MARTIN +700
DENNY HAMLIN +800
JEFF GORDON +800
KYLE BUSCH +1000
CARL EDWARDS +1000
KURT BUSCH +1200
KASEY KAHNE +1500
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA +2500

NASCAR betting players are counting down to the Chase, and the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway is the sixth race left until the Sprint Cup “playoffs” begin. Carl Edwards is the defending race-winner at this event, which is the second Pocono race of the season, but this week’s winner will be a driver that dominated Indy, but gave it away with a late-race mistake.

Pocono Odds – Montoya doesn’t let this one slip away

• Hendrick or Hendrick-affiliated drivers are four of the top five favorites
  
• Tony Stewart won the June race on fuel mileage
  
• Hendrick and affiliates have won the last three races overall

Jimmie Johnson is the favorite at +500 after taking the checkered flag at the All-State 400, winning at the Brickyard for the third time in four years. That was his third win of the season, and he returns to a race where he’s had success in the past. The No.48 driver won the 2004 Pennsylvania 500, and his 8.1 average in seven races is tops among active drivers in the second Pocono race of the season. He also finished seventh here in June.

Tony Stewart won his first points race as a driver/owner here in June, and he is rated at +600 in your offshore sportsbook after a third-place run at Indy. Stewart has seven top-10s in 10 Pennsylvania 500s, including last year’s second-place result. The No.14 driver, who is also leading the points, hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in over two months.

Mark Martin is next at +700, and the 50-year-old came in second at Indy after winning at Chicagoland. Martin’s 11.3 average in 22 Pennsylvania 500s is fourth among active drivers, but he’ll be looking for a better performance than he had back in June, when he finished 19th.

Jeff Gordon is probably the best in the series at coaxing a good result out of a subpar car, and last week’s ninth-place run at Indy was a prime example of this. That was his sixth top-10 in the last seven races, and he has sports betting odds of +800 this week, along with Denny Hamlin. Gordon has four career wins at Pocono, but only one of those wins has come in the July race, and that was back in 1998. Still, he has 11 top-10s in 16 Pennsylvania 500s, so watch out for the No.24.

If you’re looking for a driver to take outside of the Hendrick stable, Kurt Busch could be the best choice at +1200 as he has five top-fives and two victories in eight Pennsylvania 500s, but he did stumble to a 27th-place finish at Indy. Hamlin is another driver looking to bounce back after mechanical issues resigned him to 34th at the Brickyard, but his 9.0 average in three Pennsylvania 500s includes a 2006 victory. The No.11 driver had issues at Pocono in June, but if they give him a fast car, Hamlin knows how to get around the 2.5-mile triangle-shaped flat track.

LEE-ROY’S PICK: Johnson knows the Brickyard win fell into his lap, as Juan Pablo Montoya was making a mockery of the field after leading 116 laps. But a pit-road speeding penalty with 35 laps left put him back in the field, and the best car on the track finished 11th. Montoya will get his revenge this week, as he’s finished in the top 12 in eight of his last nine races, and he finished eighth in the June Pocono race. Since Pocono drives a bit like a road course with its tight turns, this is right up Montoya’s alley as his only Cup win came at Infineon in 2007. If he gets a car like he did at Indy, he has the skill to get up front, and with sports betting odds of +2500, he offers great value. Take Juan Pablo Montoya’s No.42 Chevy to Victory Lane.

For more NASCAR odds as we head towards the Chase, bookmark 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.