NASCAR Odds – Busch Vs. Busch, And How Does Harvick Follow Up?

If you are closely inspecting the NASCAR odds, you know that Kurt Busch and his little brother Kyle are both top Sprint Cup contenders, who have an outside shot to do some damage at Martinsville this week; they are going against each other – Busch vs. Busch – in a betting matchup for qualifying on Saturday morning, and we briefly explore the possibilities for last week’s race winner, Kevin Harvick, on a track that has usually given him some trouble. The Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 takes place at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday at 1 PM ET and will be televised by FOX. Harvick checks in at +800 in the NASCAR odds.

Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500

Martinsville Speedway

Ridgeway, VA

Sunday, April 3 — 1 PM ET

NASCAR Odds

Qualifying Matchup

KYLE BUSCH -120

KURT BUSCH -110

Kurt’s qualifying has not been too outstanding at Martinsville over the last few years. In his last eight appearances, he’s had only two top ten starts, and he has not had a top ten finish since 2005.

That’s ten races in a row at this track without a top ten finish. As for this season, the Auto Club 400 was the only race he’s had where he DIDN’T finish in the top ten. Unfortunately for him, that was enough that he had to relinquish the top spot in the Sprint Cup standings, as Carl Edwards (who’s +1200 in the NASCAR odds this week) took over.

Kyle Busch has had fourth place finishes in the last two fall races at Martinsville, but he has at least posted four top ten qualifying efforts there over the last six races. He is right behind his brother in the Cup standings, following up his win at Phoenix with a third-place finish at Fontana. With three finishes in the top three in his last four races (are you following all this math?), he is in great form right now. Of course, guys like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin have much more accomplished histories at Martinsville Speedway, but at +800 in the NASCAR odds this week, Kyle might be someone to consider.

JAY’S PLAY: KYLE BUSCH (-120) ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

NASCAR Betting

Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500

• Carl Edwards +1200
• Clint Bowyer +2000
• Dale Earnhardt Jr +2500
• Denny Hamlin +300
• Jamie McMurray +2500
• Jeff Burton +1500
• Jeff Gordon +800
• Jimmie Johnson +450
• Joey Logano +3000
• Juan Pablo Montoya +3000
• KEVIN HARVICK +800
• Kurt Busch +2500
• Kyle Busch +800
• Mark Martin +2500
• Ryan Newman +2500
• Tony Stewart +1000
• Field (Any Other Driver) +25000

Kevin Harvick (+800 in the NASCAR odds to win this week) is looking much better right now. Up until last weekend, he was out of the Sprint Cup picture. But these things change in a hurry, and I guess the new scoring system has something to do with it. Harvick won the Auto Club 400 at Fontana, on the heels of a sixth-place finish in Phoenix, and he is occupying ninth place in the standings.

Somehow Harvick has to figure out a way to do a little better at Martinsville, which is notorious for its narrow turns. Martinsville is a short track – in fact, the shortest track these drivers will see this year – and Harvick has a lower winning percentage on short tracks than any other kind of venue. His average finish there is 17.3, and his Driver Rating is nothing to write home about. But maybe it’s encouraging that his lone top-five finish there was the last race run at Martinsville. if he can pull off what may amount to a miracle victory on Sunday, then Harvick, who is +500 in the NASCAR odds for a Sprint Cup title, can greatly enhance his chances.