Bet on NASCAR – Does Even Money on JJ to Finish in the Top 3?

Jimmie Johnson finished 5th at Pocono last week and now, all of a sudden, he’s the hot NASCAR betting prospect to not only win the Heluva Good 400 on Sunday but also to finish in the Top 3. 

Is Jimmie a good bet at those odds to finish in the Top 3?  Not at all!  JJ could pull off the victory, but he could also finish in the bottom half of the field.  After winning at Birstol on March 21st, Johnson just hasn’t been his normal dominating self.  

If JJ isn’t a good bet to finish in the Top 3, then who is?

NASCAR:  Heluva Good 400

Where:  Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI

When:  June 13th, 2010 at 1:00 pm EST

Track:  2 miles D-shaped oval

TV:  TNT

Radio:  Motor Racing Network (MRN)

Top 3

Best NASCAR Bet A:  Denny Hamlin +180

Denny’s been on fire so far this year.  He’s already won 4 races this year and is coming off of a victory at Pocono last week.  Denny’s never done exceptionally well at Michigan, but this year is shaping up to be a very special one for him.  He does have 2 top 5 finishes at Michigan.  He also has a total of 6 top 5 finishes on the season.  That means that Denny has finished in the top five 42% of the time this year.  That’s a pretty good percentage.  I love his chances of getting into the Top 3 on Sunday.

Best NASCAR Bet B:  Kyle Busch +140

Kyle, like teammate Denny, hasn’t had great success at Michigan.  Unlike Denny, who has finished in the top 5 twice at Michigan, Kyle has only finished in the top 5 once at Michigan.  Busch has been rock solid so far in 2010, however.  He’s won twice, has finished in the top 5 a total of 5 times, and has an average finish of 9.5 on the season.  If Kyle is ever going to get good at Michigan, he’s probably going to get good this Sunday.

Best Underdog NASCAR Wager:  Jamie McMurray +750

Anything above +500 in the NASCAR sportsbook to finish in the Top 3 in a race has to be considered “underdog” betting odds.  The Daytona 500 winner only has one top 5 finish at Michigan to his credit.  He does, however, have 4 top 5 finishes on the season.  McMurray’s coming off of a bad 36th place finish at Pocono, but he’s bounced back from bad finishes before.  I believe he does it again to challenge for a Top 3 placing in the Heluva Good 400 on Sunday.

Others to Consider

Carl Edwards +500 – - He’s won twice at Michigan meaning that he could very well get into the Top 3 on Sunday.

Kurt Busch +300 – - Those aren’t bad odds on a guy that’s won twice at Michigan and has racked up 7 total top 5 finishes.

Jeff Gordon +180 – - 2 victories and 17 total top 5 finishes means that Gordo’s got a serious shot to cross the line in the Top 3 on Sunday.

Mark Martin +500 – -  He’s not having a great season.  5 victories and 17 total top 5 finishes, like his teammate Jeff Gordon, means that Michigan could be where he turns his season around.

This week, drivers travel to Michigan for the Heluva Good 400! Log onto the NASCAR sportsbook and make wagers on the Heluva Good 400