NASCAR Betting Recap - A Busch takes it
by Corey E
NASCAR betting: Short track, shorter memory
Kurt Busch looked like his old self once again, dominating the race and taking the checkered flag.
And when we say dominating, we mean it. Busch led 234 of 330 laps in the victory, which is only rivaled by Cale Yarborough's storied performance prior to the track being lengthened, when the legend was in front of the pack for every single trip around the course.
Even more impressive is that the race actually went to caution with two laps remaining, which brought every racer to pit road. Afterwards, Carl Edwards took the lead on the re-start, with Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers sitting behind Busch. Nonetheless, the No. 2 quickly reclaimed the lead and defied NASCAR odds in capturing the green-white-checkered victory.
To top it off, Busch announced that “he's back,” as he drove backwards around the track in celebration.
Busch could be favored on NASCAR lines again next week, however Bristol is one of the toughest tracks on the circuit, meaning NASCAR betting fanatics will have to throw most of their strategy out the window. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the safest driver wins at Bristol, given that Jeff Burton is the defending champion, but often times the race comes down to who can make a late run, and who avoids the inevitable wreck.
While he didn't set the world on fire at Atlanta as expected, Jimmie Johnson is a great sports betting choice next weekend. The positive about Johnson's disappointing start is that while he eventually will break out of it, for the time being, his value is going up on NASCAR odds. To begin the season, Johnson's value on moneyline bets was almost too minimal to be worth BetUS customers' while. However, one can expect to see Johnson in and around the +750 range for Bristol.
Another strong play could be Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon, who turned in another fine run at Atlanta. Gordon has figured out how to finish second once again, but he is still struggling to capture his first victory in almost two years (the Budweiser Shootout doesn't count). There's no question that he's right on the verge, and his slump should also get you decent value on NASCAR lines, much like Johnson.
