NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500 – Picking a Top 3 Finisher

The Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta, Georgia this Sunday is the fourth race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Already, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch have made their presence felt with Kenseth winning both the Daytona 500 and the Auto Club 500. Busch won the Shelby 427 just last Sunday.

For BetOnline online sportsbook betting fans, it’s not always about who can win. Sometimes, it makes more sense to take low odds on a driver that bettors feel will finish in the top three.

Let’s analyze some of the drivers that have a good chance of finishing in the top three in the Kobalt Tools 500.

NASCAR: Kobalt Tools 500 Top Three

1. Kyle Busch +180 – - When Kyle gets good, he usually stays good for a very long time. Busch might not win the Kobalt after his terrific Shelby victory, but finishing in the top three definitely looks like a possibility. He’s the best wager in the sportsbook to finish in the top three.

2. Matt Kenseth +225 – - Kenseth never got a chance in the Shelby 427 after blowing an engine early. In the Kobalt Tools 500, Kenseth should make his presence felt early. Because his crew is calling all of the right shots, I expect Matt to be right there at the end. That makes him an overlay at +225.

3. Jeff Gordon +180 – - Gordon is going off at the same odds as Kyle Busch. The truth is that Gordon should be going off slightly higher, maybe at +200 or so. Gordon can win the Kobalt Tools 500 so his chances of finishing in the top three are very good but if it comes down to the driver with the best chance at the best odds, Busch is a better pick.

4. Greg Biffle +200 – - Here’s a driver that should do very well this Sunday. Biffle is as good as anybody on the NASCAR circuit and he’s been doing well enough so far this season to get some consideration to win the Kobalt Tools 500. A top three placing could in the cards for Biffle.

5. Jimmie Johnson +150 – - Jimmie has to be seething after the performance of his crew and himself during these first three weeks. He’s the champ which means he’s going to go into the Kobalt Tools 500 believing that he can win. A top three placing is likely but the odds are too low for me to bite.

6. Carl Edwards +150 – - The same goes for Edwards who hasn’t been driving well at all so far this season. Edwards is supposedly the top driver for Roush Racing, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype so far. At +150, I expect to feel confident that the driver will make it into the top three. I don’t feel confident that Edwards will.

Best Long Shots

Clint Bowyer +1200 – - The odds on Bowyer, who finished second in the Shelby 427, might be too good to pass up. 12 to 1 to finish in the top three has to be considered terrific odds since Bowyer has driven well so far this year.

Brian Vickers +900 – - Vickers finished in the top five in the Shelby 427 last Sunday. Like Bowyer, if he can keep it up, then a top three finish could be possible in the Kobalt Tools 500.

Jeff Burton +900 – - Burton is yet another driver that did well last Sunday. If he can keep it up, then he too has a chance of finishing in the top three in the Kobalt.