Johnson’s race to lose at Atlanta
Written by unclerico, Thursday March 04 2010
NASCAR betting players are praying that this season just doesn’t turn into the Jimmie Johnson show, as the four-time defending champion looks as hungry as ever to grab his fifth straight Sprint Cup title. Johnson is the favorite at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, and he’ll be eager to get to the front: Kobalt is one of his sponsors.
NASCAR Betting – Sunday, March 6, 2:00 PM ET
Johnson is the favorite at +400, and he has a finishing average of 8.8 in eight spring races at Atlanta, which is tops among current drivers. Johnson, who took the checkered flag in the 2007 spring race here, roared past teammate Jeff Gordon (who also owns 50% of Johnson’s No.48 Chevy) last week at Las Vegas to win his second straight race, which is a bad sign for the rest of the series as Johnson has been known as a slow starter. Maybe he’ll slow down after his first child is born in the summer, but it’s not likely.
Gordon comes in at +800, and his 10.5 average in 17 spring races at Atlanta is second only to Johnson. The No.24 driver (and four-time champion in his own right) should be encouraged by his performance last weekend when he led 219 laps en route to a third-place finish, but crew chief Steve Letarte ordered a two-tire stop when everyone else got four, which is why Johnson and Kevin Harvick eventually roared past Gordon, who won this race in 1995 and 1999.
Harvick is listed at +1000, and he leads teammate Clint Bowyer in the standings by 47 points after the first two races of the season. Harvick has been in position to win all three races this year, and he’s finished second to Johnson in the last two. With the way he’s been going, he should take his money and head to a super casino, because the No.29 driver is hot right now.
Check out Tony Stewart at +600, and Matt Kenseth at +2000, and Stewart is the big mover after opening the week at +1400. Stewart won this race in 2002, and his 10.8 average in 11 races is good enough for fourth. However, Stewart just loves this race track, as his 9.2 average in 18 races is the best among active drivers. Meanwhile, Kenseth (also known as Mr. Consistency) has five top-10s in 10 spring races at Atlanta, and he’s finished in the top 10 in all three races so far this year.
It’s tempting to go with Gordon, Harvick, and even Stewart, but until someone proves they can outsmart Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, it’s extremely difficult to bet on anyone else, especially with the way Johnson is going. Johnson may be trying to build a cushion before his baby is born, and wins are the only way to do that before the Chase. Go with Jimmie Johnson in your sports wagering picks this weekend.
Tags:
 - Copy.JPG){kind=small}
Leave a comment
Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login
Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!
Click here to browse
0 comments