The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is in Indianapolis, Indiana this weekend for its annual run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Start time for the Crown Royal Brickyard 400 is set at 12:00pm ET; the race, which serves as the 20th of the season, will be broadcast live on ESPN. Crown Royal Brickyard 400 Predictions and Odds have five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson listed as a 5/1 favorite to win the race. Pole sitter Denny Hamlin, who drives the No.11 FedEX Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, is a second pick at 6-1 odds. Current points standing leader Matt Kenseth is drawing 10/1 odds to win his second race of the season.
The Favorites
Jimmie Johnson (+500 to win, +180 top three finish): Johnson, who finished seventh at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 on July 15th, has been solid all season long, but he has been dominant since mid-May. The California native has placed in the top five in five of the last nine races, including wins Darlington and Dover. His summer surge has resulted in a move to fourth in the driver standings where he trails Kenseth by 51 points with a total of 656. Johnson, who will start sixth in today’s race, has three wins and four top 10 finishes in 10 career starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His last victory at the Brickyard came in 2009.
Denny Hamlin (+600 to win, +180 top three finish): Hamlin, who presently sits fifth in the points standing, is seeking his third win and 10th top 10 finish of the season today. Hamlin, the pole sitter in this afternoon’s race, has been an all or nothing driver of late, alternating between good and bad finishes for the better part of the last two months. Given his pattern, Hamlin should be in for a disappointment at Indy since he took 2nd in the last race, the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. In six career outings at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hamlin has two top 10 finishes; his best result at the legendary track came in 2008 when he took third place.
Tony Stewart (+1500 to win, +450 top three finish): Stewart did not qualify well for the Brickyard 400 as he will start from the 28th position; however, he should not be counted out of this afternoon’s race. Stewart has two wins, six top five, and nine top 10 finishes in 13 NASCAR starts at Indy. He is also hot right now, having placed third or better in four of the last six races. Looking for value? $100 to win $1500 on Stewart is where it’s at.
Jeff Gordon (+1200 to win, +350 top three finish): Gordon has been all kinds of snake bit this season, but he has been incredibly consistent over the last five weeks. Gordon has finished sixth or better in four of the last five races, and, like Stewart, he is a machine at the Brickyard. In 18 races at Indy, Gordon has produced four wins, 10 top five results, and 14 top 10 finishes. He will start today’s race from the ninth position.
Odds to Win the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard:
Jimmie Johnson +500, Denny Hamlin +600, Carl Edwards +800, Greg Biffle +800, Kyle Busch +800, Matt Kenseth +1000, Kasey Kahne +1200, Jeff Gordon +1200, Dale Earnhardt Jr. +1500, Joey Logano +1500, Tony Stewart +1500, Brad Keselowski +2000, Kevin Harvick +2500, Mark Martin +2500, Martin Truex Jr. +3500, Juan Pablo Montoya +3500, Ryan Newman +3500, Clint Bowyer +4000, Paul Menard +6000, Jamie McMurray +7500, Kurt Busch +7500, Aric Almirola +100000, Jeff Burton +10000, Marcos Ambrose +10000, Sam Hornish Jr. +10000, Trevor Bayne +20000, Regan Smith +30000, Bobby Labonte +30000, David Ragan +30000
$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
TiSB: Cantor's Mike Colbert Talks World's First NFL Game Lines: Last week Cantor opened up the first 2012 NFL lines in the world - Cantor's VP Mike Colbert discussess the teams they value the best and worst, and also shares breaking news on how the Wiseguys have been betting so far - with host RJ Bell PLAY | DISCUSS | DOWNLOAD (to save: right mouse click, and select "save target as")
For breaking Vegas stats and news, follow: www.Twitter.com/RJinVegas
ATTRIBUTION: Print, radio, TV, and Internet media should feel free to quote any information above. Please attribute: RJ Bell of Pregame.com.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: RJ Bell is one of the most professional and compelling on-air Las Vegas experts.
Email him directly at rjbell@pregame.com to book an appearance.
RJ Bell of Pregame.com is the only sports bettor on Forbes' recent list of Gambling Gurus and has been called "a true insider" by ESPN, "incredibly astute" by AOL and a "point-spread maven" by USA Today. Mr. Bell has been featured on CBS News with Katie Couric, ABC News with Charles Gibson, Nightline, Sportscenter, Outside the Lines (ESPN), First Take (ESPN2), Mike & Mike, Colin Cowherd, Jim Rome, Dan Patrick, ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, Yahoo, CNN.com and in the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, New York Times, LA Times, Newsweek.com, Bloomberg, Maxim, and Sports Illustrated. Pregame.com is the largest sports betting news website compliant with US Law.