NASCAR Power Rankings heading into the Sharpie 500

Stewart Increases His Sprint Cup Lead

Tony Stewart increased his lead in the BetUS online sportsbook to win the Sprint Cup in 2009.  Stewart is now a 2 to 1 favorite to win the Chase.

The odds on Tony weren’t the only ones that dropped, though, as Juan Pablo Montoya was in the sportsbook at 35 to 1 last week and is now at 25 to 1 this week.  That’s a full 10 point drop.

Let’s take a look at the power rankings.

NASCAR:  Sprint Cup Power Rankings with Odds

1. Tony Stewart +300 - - The odds on Tony to win the Sprint Cup have gone up a bit after his 17th place finish in the Carfax 400.  Tony could do better in the Sharpie 500 this week at Bristol.  More than likely, Smoke will find himself in the top 10 again at Bristol.  So, he probably will keep his top ranking.

2. Jeff Gordon +450 - - Gordon bounced back from a sub-par Watkins Glen to finish second to Brian Vickers in the Carfax 400 last week.  Like every track on the NASCAR circuit, Gordon has done well at Bristol.  He could make inroads on Smoke if Smoke doesn’t show up in the Sharpie.

3. Jimmie Johnson +250 - - Johnson’s odds are still awfully low.  He actually lost the second spot in the power rankings to Gordon.  It doesn’t matter at this point as Johnson just wants to be within a race or two from taking over the top spot.  He is right now as he’s roughly 300 points away from Tony Stewart.

4. Carl Edwards +800 - - Carl’s 4th place finish in the Carfax 400 was a good sign that he is taking it easy, not pushing, and just trying to keep himself in the Chase.  Edwards has suddenly jumped up to 4th in the rankings.  Now, bettors can start taking Edwards seriously. 

5. Denny Hamlin +1200 - - Hamlin didn’t have an awful Carfax 400 with his 10th place finish, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Edwards from jumping ahead of him.  Hamlin has continued to prove to be Joe Gibbs’s top option to win the Sprint Cup in 2009.

6. Kurt Busch +1800 - - Busch drops a few spots after getting into an accident in the Carfax 400 and finishing in 36th place.  He’s just maintaining at this point.  He could be a tough competitor once the Chase starts if he can find a way to stay in the top 6 in the rankings. 

7. Juan Pablo Montoya +3500 - - After some terrific runs, Juan Pablo failed to crack the top 10 and ended up finishing 19th in the Carfax 400.  That’s okay.  He was due for either a victory or a letdown.  I guess he had his letdown.  Juan Pablo could bounce back this week in the Sharpie 500.

8. Kasey Kahne +1500 - - Kahne had a nice Carfax 400 with an 11th place finish.  Kasey is proving that the number 9 can still find success on the NASCAR circuit.  Because he’s been driving so well lately, gamblers shouldn’t discount Kahne’s chances at Bristol.

9. Ryan Newman +5000 - - The odds on Newman have steadily increased.  Now, he’s up to 50 to 1.  Because he drives on Tony’s team, his chances of winning a Sprint Cup are slightly better than that.  Then again, because he drives on Tony’s team, the odds might be right where they belong.