NASCAR Betting - Samsung 500 Top 3

NASCAR travels to Fort Worth, Texas this Sunday for the Samsung 500. Contested at the Texas Motor Speedway, the Samsung 500 could turn out to be Carl Edwards’s first victory of the season.

In two races in the Sprint Cup Series last year, Edwards took down the checkered flag. No wonder he’s a heavy favorite to finish in the Top 3.

Let’s analyze the chances of some of the drivers to finish in the Top 3 in the Samsung 500.

NASCAR: Samsung 500 Top 3

1. Jeff Gordon +200 - - Even though Gordon has never won at the Texas Motor Speedway, finishing in the Top 3 should be something he is capable of doing this Sunday. Then again, his average finish at Texas has been 16th. But he does have 4 top 5 finishes and 5 top 10 finishes this season and he’s leading in the Sprint Cup point standings. The bottom line is that bettors might not get 2 to 1 on Gordon to finish in the Top 3 ever again. Those odds on the best driver on the track at this point in the season means a wager is a foregone conclusion.

2. Jimmie Johnson +200 - - Like Gordon the odds on Johnson, who won the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 last week, are very good. Johnson has won at the Texas Motor Speedway before. In fact, not only does he have a victory but he has 5 top 5 finishes and 8 top 10 finishes on the track. Jimmie could be very difficult to contend with now that he got that first victory of the season under his belt.

3. Carl Edwards +150 - - Edwards dominated on this track last year when taking down both Sprint Cup races. It’s been a tough season for Edwards who only has a single top 5 and 2 top 10 finishes this season. But Carl has won 3 times at the Texas Motor Speedway. So, a Top 3 finish appears likely.

4. Kyle Busch +150 - - Busch had to be disappointed in his 24th place finish in last Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. He will be looking to turn it around in Texas. Could Busch finish in the Top 3? The likelihood of that happening are pretty good since Kyle does have 3 top 5 and 4 top 10 finishes at the Texas Motor Speedway. The odds are sort of low but Kyle has bounced back from bad races before to be very good just 7 days later. Also, Busch won both Nationwide Series races on this track last year.

5. Denny Hamlin +500 - - Hamlin finishes second to Johnson in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. His record at the Texas Motor Speedway really isn’t that bad with 2 top 5 finishes and 5 top 10 finishes. He could surprise and get himself into the top 3.

6. Tony Stewart +600 - - The jury is still out on whether or not Smoke’s 3rd place finish last week was a sign of things to come. The odds are very good on Tony who should be closer to 3 to 4 to 1 to finish in the top 3 than 6 to 1. Why? Because he has a victory, 3 top fives and 8 top tens at Fort Worth.

Best Long Shots

Jeff Burton +700 - - Burton only has 1 top 5 finish so far this season but he’s won twice at the Texas Motor Speedway, has finished in the top 5 three times and in the top 10 seven times.

Clint Bowyer +600 - - Bowyer continues to impress with a 5th place finish in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 last week. At Texas he’s finished in the top 5 only 2 times, but he and his crew are probably better now than they’ve ever been.