NASCAR Picks – McMurray and Harvick Lock Horns In Betting Prop

NASCAR bettors got a thrill back on April 25 when Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray locked horns in what was the most exciting finish of the Sprint Cup season at Talladega, and as they prepare for this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte (5:45 PM ET, Fox Network) they are going head-to-head again. This time it’s in a qualifying matchup. In this proposition, McMurray is the -150 betting favorite, while Harvick is priced at +120, and although we can’t guarantee you the visual excitement of their duel in the Aaron’s 499, we can guarantee you’ll be happy if you can win some money.

Coca-Cola 600
Sunday, May 30 – 5:45 PM ET
Charlotte Motor Speedway

Betting Proposition – Qualifying Matchup
Jamie McMurray  -150              
Kevin Harvick     +120    

Jamie McMurray, winner of the most prestigious race in the sport – the Daytona 500 – has been on a campaign to prove that he is good for more than just restrictor plate race tracks. This is a golden opportunity, and we must say that he shouldn’t be counted out, because he’s been on big stages and done well. Of course, the race where Kevin Harvick sat on his tail and made him loose with a quick pass just yards from the finish (the Aaron’s 499) sticks in his craw, and here they are, paired in a betting matchup. McMurray (the -150 betting favorite over Harvick) has two second-place finishes to go with his win, and he has won two poles this season. It’s often feast or famine with him, though, and he could just as easily struggle to be in the top 30 as win the race this Sunday.

McMurray, who is a longshot at 80/1 in Sprint Cup betting, won his first year at Charlotte Motor Speedway, capturing the fall race in 2002. With four top tens in his first five races at this venue, and the last three coming after poor starts, he was a force to be reckoned with. However, only twice in the last ten events at Charlotte has he scored a top ten finish.

No one can doubt that Kevin Harvick is one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit right now. he has not been out of the Sprint Cup top five all year and currently occupies the #1 spot, even though he is priced at +1200 in the NASCAR betting odds to win the title by year’s end. Harvick began his season with four straight starts in the top ten, including runner-up finishes in the Auto Club 500 and Shelby American. Then a mini-slump occurred, which for him meant that he was out of the top ten three races in a row, and he has since come back strong; in the last five races he has been no worse than seventh, and he won the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega with that bold move at the end to pass McMurray. We were speaking about "feast or famine" with regard to McMurray, but look at Harvick’s performances in qualifying. He has started five times inside the top seven, and five times outside the top 30!
             
NASCAR bettors remember that he first time Harvick raced at Charlotte in the Sprint Cup, it was in the Coca-Cola 600 and he was the runner-up. That was 2001, but in no year since has he been better than tenth. Last year neither of these drivers was much of a factor in the two Cup races that were held in Charlotte (actually Concord, NC). I understand that McMurray may be a little better here, but Harvick is the guy who has gotten better results on an overall basis, and thus he’s worth the underdog play.

JAY’S BETTING PLAY:  HARVICK (+120) ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)