NASCAR from Michigan International Speedway - Carfax 400 Preview

NASCAR betting revs the engines at Michigan International Speedway for the second time this season. The Carfax 400 is scheduled for Sunday at the two-mile, D-shaped oval track. Sprint Cup racers are nearing the Chase for the Cup cutoff and the pressure is on numerous drivers to make up serious ground in the standings.

Oddsmakers have tagged defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson as a +375 favorite for this weekend's event. Johnson is currently second in the Nascar standings and is coming off back-to-back disappointments. The No. 48 car started in the front of the pack at Watkins Glen and Pocono but had to settle for 12th and 13th-place finishes. He hasn't had much success at Michigan, posting an average finish of 14th place. Johnson has six Top-10 placings there but has never taken the checkered in 15 career starts.

Mark Martin is priced at +500 after winning at Michigan earlier this year. The veteran driver claimed the LifeLock 400 back in June, which was one of Martin's four victories this season. He is currently sitting in 11th place in the standings. The No. 5 team led just one lap in the previous race at Michigan, but Martin has a solid career record at Brooklyn. In 47 starts, he has posted 17 Top-5 finishes and boasts an average finish of 13th place.

Racing's most polarizing driver, Jeff Gordon, is at +600 heading into the weekend. The No. 24 car suffered a nasty crash at Watkins Glen and Gordon's already-tender back took a beating in the wreck. He told reporters he'll be behind the wheel on race day and is depending on his track record at Michigan to help him through this injury. In 33 career starts at Brooklyn, Gordon has 21 Top-10 showings and two checkered flags.

Points leader Tony Stewart and sixth-ranked Carl Edwards are both set at +700 for Sunday's race. Stewart picked up his third win of the season at Watkins Glen this Monday, marking the 10th straight race Stewart has finished within the Top 10. The driver known as Smoke will clinch a spot in the Chase for the Cup by simply starting his car Sunday. However, Stewart's competitiveness won't let him get complacent. In 21 starts at Michigan, he has just one win and nine Top-5 finishes.

Edwards is coming off an impressive showing at Watkins Glen, moving up from 33rd to finish the race in third place. It was the No. 99 team's 10th Top-10 showing. Edwards is still without a win but it may come at Michigan, where the thrilling youngster has an average finish of seventh and has two career wins in just 10 starts at the two-mile track. Back in June 2007, he snapped a 52-race winless skid at Michigan.

The always-brash Kyle Busch is at +800 for this Sunday. He's coming off a stellar showing at Watkins Glen, finishing in fourth place for his fifth Top-5 placing of the season. Busch is currently in 13th place in the standings and must make a push in the next few races if he wants to get a spot in the Chase for the Cup. He runs well at Michigan and has posted a 13th-place finish in three of the past four races there. He finished second in this race last season, leading 34 laps.