NASCAR Betting: Pocono 500 Preview

Racing fans go mountain high this weekend when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its way to Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 500. BetUS.com has the best NASCAR betting online with individual odds, head-to-head qualifying matchups, and Top-3 finishers for Sunday's event.

Jimmie Johnson (+450) seems primed to grab the points lead with one of his most successful tracks on the schedule. Johnson has nine career Top-10 finishes including two wins at Pocono and is coming off a checkered flag at Dover last weekend. Johnson overcame some pit troubles to charge into the lead with just two laps left. His most recent showing in Pennsylvania was a third-place finish at last August's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 in which he started out front.

Matching Johnson's excellence in the mountains is four-year veteran Denny Hamlin (+700), who's equaled J.J.'s two wins despite making only six starts at the tri-oval. Hamlin has posted four Top-5 finishes at Pocono but has just two this season and has failed to win a race since last March at Martinsville. Last weekend, Hamlin wrapped a disappointing race in 36th and could use a boost at his favorite track to get this season going.

Also priced at +700 is Kyle Busch, who doesn't boast the same success at Pocono as the other race favorites. In his eight starts in Pennsylvania, the younger Busch has just two Top-10 finishes with his best showing (fourth) coming in his debut at the track back in 2005. Busch's last two races at Pocono produced 36th and 43rd-place finishes. He started the 2009 season with three wins in his first seven races, but has since picked up just one checkered and has an average finish of 16th place despite a starting average of ninth.

Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon (+800), currently sits second in the points standings and is coming off a terrible weekend at Dover. He wrecked his primary car in qualifying, leading to his start in the 42nd spot and a 26th-place finish. The No. 24 car has wound up outside the Top 10 in his last three races and has just one win this season. Gordon has four career checkered flags at Long Pond with 22 Top-10 placings. His last five runs have spawned one win, three Top 5's, and four Top-10 finishes. Gordon pulled out of a charity race this week due to a nagging back which has plagued him over the past few seasons.

Starting to gather speed in the standings is Carl Edwards (+800), who has three Top-5 finishes in a row. Most recently, Edwards rolled to a seventh-place showing and led 12 laps at Dover. He's the most recent winner at Pocono, taking the checkered at the Pennsylvania 500 last August. Edwards has two career victories at the triangle, with four Top-10 placings in just eight career starts. Attention is being drawn to his recent dust-ups with Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle. The two collided at Dover and have been involved in other accidents this season.

Rounding out the favorites are points leader Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Biffle – all priced at +1200. Stewart finished second at last week's race and has 14 Top-10 finishes in 20 career starts at Pocono. However, Kurt Busch may be the best value wager out of these drivers. The nine-year veteran has two career wins at Pocono and has finished in second four times at Long Pond. His 2009 season has him fourth in the standings and he's coming off a fifth place showing at Dover.