Bet On NASCAR – Sharpie 500 Saturday Night Live
Only the top-12 drivers in points following race 26-of-36 on the Sprint Cup schedule become eligible to compete for the championship in the Chase for the Cup, and with just three races remaining until the green flag drops for NASCAR’s postseason, Saturday evening’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway is the perfect time for NASCAR betting fans to win money on bubble-drivers who need strong runs to qualify for the Chase.
The top-12 drivers in the point standings that have already raced their way into the Chase are point’s leaders Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton, who own the top five spots, respectively, and are locked into the championship 10-race run which begins on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Loudon, NH.
Despite already being locked in, not even needing a sniff of Victory Lane at the Sharpie 500, any of them make solid NASCAR wagering selections at Bristol. Obviously, this rendition of ”Fab Five” hasn’t earned their spots by compiling DNFs, running poorly or calling timeouts when there’s none remaining, DOH! (Sorry Michigan fans). They’ve succeeded with strength and consistency, which captures oddsmakers respect and ultimately lower prices.
However, there’s enormous online NASCAR betting value of +1600 on Johnson, who’s the only driver among the top-five that’s never taken the checkers at Bristol. So if you’re going to invest in one of the five that’s already locked in, he’s the most logical betting selection simply because of his huge value, even though he’s never won on the world’s fastest half-mile track. But he does have six victories in his career on short tracks, and at +1600, how can you not invest a few coins in the two time defending Sprint Cup champ?
Positions 1 through 5 are separated by 349 points, meanwhile, 6 through 12 are separated by only 136, and this is where things get very interesting for drivers sitting in the last seven spots and for bettors. Stuck in the bumper-to-bumper 6-12 highway traffic jam that’s traveling towards Bristol, Tennessee are Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin, who round out the top-12, respectively.
With just a 136-point differential between them, all become drivers on the bubble as they continue attempting to race their way into the Chase. There’s no margin for error at Bristol, a track where often push comes to shove and a lot of paint is traded, and expect tempers to flare before night’s end with so much on the line. The .533-miles oval track with 36 degrees of banking has been compared to trying to fly an F-16 jet fighter inside a gymnasium.
A strong case can be made for any of the 6th through 12th-placed competitors as being a wise investment in the Sharpie 500 based solely on the grounds of needing good showings. Though the strongest case can be made for Gordon, who’s the man to beat among the seven, and possibly the man to beat, period.
In 31 career starts at Bristol, he has collected five victories, 12 top-fives and 18 top-10s. Starting near the front at Bristol, or any short track, is crucial and Gordon owns a series-best starting position of a remarkable 5.4 (five poles). His fourth-best 11.7 average of finish isn’t too shabby either. The four-time Cup champ has yet to post a win in 2008 but there’s no better track than Bristol to get his first and with BetUS NASCAR odds of +1000, he’s worth a shot.
Two other drivers the online NASCAR wagering community shouldn’t overlook on Saturday who’s attempting to maintain a top-12 position is Biffle and Harvick. Biffle has the best average of finish at Bristol among all active drivers of 9.7, and Harvick is right on his bumper with the second-best at 9.9. They may not take the checkers but don’t be surprised to see them finish near the front. A solid wager would be on Biffle, who has six top-10 finishes in his last seven Bristol starts, to finish in the top-3 at odds of +550.
Bubble drivers on the outside looking in are 13th-place Clint Bowyer and 14th-place David Ragan. Both have 720 points, putting each very much with striking distance only 26 markers behind Hamlin, who owns the final cut off spot with 694 points. Considering Kahne and Hamlin are struggling, both falling three spots last week in the standings at Michigan, it should come as no surprise if Bowyer and-or Ragan break into the top-12. They desperately need stout runs at Bristol but aren’t worthy of betting on.
Brian Vickers sits 14th, Martin Truex Jr. 15th and Ryan Newman 16th in the standings as the remaining few drivers on the bubble with a distance chance of making the Chase. But don’t waste your money betting on any of the three this weekend, despite needing strong appearances in the next trio of races just to have an outside shot of making the Chase. Vickers has eight career Bristol starts, Truex Jr. five, and neither has ever finished in the top-10. Newman has failed to take the checkers there and has only one top-five and six top-10s in 13 career starts.
Saturday night’s running of the Sharpie 500 is one of the most exciting races of the year if not thee most exciting. From the ”bump-and-run” to the rubbin’ is racin’ style, any of the 43 world’s best stockcar drivers can win, making this a bet friendly event. This will be a bumping and banging race with the last man standing taking the checkers. If you bet NASCAR online, it’s hard to wager on a driver other than those trying to remain in the top-12 or race their way in.
With that being said, here are your selections for Saturday evening’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway at 8:15pm EST:
NASCAR Free Picks: Jimmie Johnson +1600 (To Win)—Jeff Gordon +450 (Top 2 Finisher)—Greg Biffle +550 (Top 3 Finisher). Good Luck!
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