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Sportsbook.com has your Kobalt Tools 500 betting odds for 2011 right hererace fans. The preview appears below.
Just two races remain in NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup. This Sunday the drivers start their engines in the desert at Phoenix International Speedway. This 1-mile, tri-oval intermediate track was built in 1964 with a small degree of banking on the turns (11 degrees at Turns 1-2 and 9 degrees at Turns 3-4). The backstretch is also 9 degrees of banking, and measures 1,551 feet (0.29 miles), while the frontstretch is a mere 3 degrees, measuring 1,179 feet (0.22 miles).
The Chase for the Cup Standings
1. Carl Edwards
2. Tony Stewart -3
3. Kevin Harvick -33
4. Matt Kenseth -38
5. Brad Keselowski -49
6. Jimmie Johnson -55
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -79
8. Jeff Gordon -81
9. Kurt Busch -87
10. Denny Hamlin -99
11. Kyle Busch -100
12. Ryan Newman -103
Drivers to Watch
Carl Edwards (6/1) - Edwards remains in first place in the Cup Standings due to an impressive current run of 11 straight top-11’s, with an average finish position of 5.5. This ride includes seven top-5’s, capped off by last week’s runner-up in Texas. The No. 99 car is usually in contention at Phoenix with top-7 finishes in eight of his 14 career starts at this track. And although he had a disappointing 28th at this track in February, he won the Kobalt Tools 500 last year, starting from the pole. Edwards hasn’t entered victory lane since the third race of the season (Kobalt Tools 400), but expect Edwards to finally get over the hump on Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson (8/1) - He has simply owned this track recently, with 10 straight top-5 finishes, including four victories. Johnson also has a win and two runner-ups in his past six starts this season. He still has a remote chance to win his sixth straight championship at 55 points out of first, but he can’t settle for anything less than a victory on Sunday. With decent odds at 8-to-1, you might as well place a small wager on Johnson to do just that.
Tony Stewart (5/1) - Stewart continues his impressive run towards Cup glory, notching his fourth victory in his past eight races last week in Texas. He sits just three points behind Chase leader Carl Edwards and is the favorite to win again on Sunday. Stewart hasn’t won in Phoenix since 1999, his first-ever start at this track, but he has three runner-ups in the desert since 2006. Although the odds are short, bettors have to place at least a Unit on Stewart to take home the checkered flag again.
Mark Martin (40/1) - As longshots go, Martin represents tremendous value at 40-to-1. His odds are so favorable because of just two top-5 finishes this year, but he’s won at this track twice in his career, including 2009 when he started on the pole. In his past 10 races at Phoenix, Martin has finished no worse than 14th, tallying a 5.8 average finish with four top-5’s in his past six Phoenix starts.
Jeff Gordon (7/1) - He has been wildly inconsistent all season, but Gordon’s always got that potential to win a race. Since winning the AdvoCare 500, he has finished 3rd, 24th, 4th, 12th, 34th, 21st, 27th, 3rd and 6th. Gordon won at this track in February and was the runner-up to Carl Edwards in last year’s Kobalt Tools 500. He also claimed victory at Phoenix in 2007. His odds are on the short end, but he’s still a reasonable wager at 7-to-1.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
