Jimmie Johnson is the leader in the Sprint Cup Series standings after the first two events of the season, and he sits as the NASCAR betting favorite for this weekend's Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Johnson is eight points ahead of both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski in the driver standings with one victory and two Top-5 results in the first two Sprint Cup Series races of 2013. Heading into this weekend Johnson is the +600 favorite at Sportsbook to take the checkered flag in the Kobalt Tools 400.
Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are next on those NASCAR betting lines at +750, with Keselowski at +800, and Tony Stewart at +900. Stewart visited Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last March, holding off Johnson and Greg Biffle for the race victory.
Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards all hold down +1000 odds at Sportsbook for this weekend's race in Las Vegas, followed by each of Biffle, Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Clint Bowyer at +1200. Edwards won last weekend's Sprint Cup Series event in Phoenix, and sits in 11th place in the current standings.
Kevin Harvick (+1400), Mark Martin (+2000), and Martin Truex Jr. (+2200) round out the top contenders on the odds to win the Kobalt Tools 400 on Sunday, while Danica Patrick heads into the race with longshot +25000 odds. Patrick is 22nd in the Sprint Cup Series standings after finishing in 39th place last weekend in Phoenix.
Odds to Win 2013 Kobalt Tools 400 at Sportsbook:
Jimmie Johnson +600
Kyle Busch +750
Denny Hamlin +750
Brad Keselowski +800
Tony Stewart +900
Jeff Gordon +1000
Matt Kenseth +1000
Carl Edwards +1000
Greg Biffle +1200
Kasey Kahne +1200
Dale Earnhardt Jr. +1200
Clint Bowyer +1200
Kevin Harvick +1400
Mark Martin +2000
Martin Truex Jr. +2200
Ryan Newman +3300
Joey Logano +4000
Jeff Burton +5000
Paul Menard +5000
Marco Ambrose +5000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5000
Kurt Busch +6600
Juan Pablo Montoya +6600
Jamie McMurray +6600
Austin Dillon +8000
Aric Almirola +10000
Trevor Bayne +12500
Landon Cassill +20000
Danica Patrick +25000
Bobby Labonte +25000
David Ragan +25000
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Kyle Busch hasn’t made an impact on the NASCAR circuit in 2012 yet, but he’s expected to challenge for the checkered flag when the Kobalt Tools 400 runs this Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch won this race in 2009 and is the frontrunner at Sportsbook as the 5/1 favorite.
Jimmie Johnson is a four-time champion of the Kobalt Tools 400, most recently winning in 2010, and he’s next on the NASCAR betting lines at 11/2 odds for a victory in Las Vegas. Last year’s champion and two-time Sportsbook Carl Edwards is at 8/1 alongside Tony Stewart, who’s still seeking a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Jeff Gordon likes the Vegas track, but his only win there came in 2001. Gordon is at 10/1 at Sportsbook as is Kevin Harvick, who is searching for his first victory in the Kobalt Tools 400. Denny Hamlin is off to a strong start, winning last week in Phoenix and posting two Top-5 finishes thus far; he is at 12/1 along with Kasey Kahne.
Greg Biffle has a pair of Top-5 finishes and rolls in at 14/1 odds. Matt Kenseth could be a steal as he also sits at 14/1 on the Kobalt Tools 400 betting lines. Kenseth has one victory this season, and has claimed the Las Vegas race twice in his career.
Brad Keselowski had his share of wins last season and posted some solid results, but oddsmakers never seem to rate him high on the NASCAR betting lines. Keselowski comes into the Kobalt Tools 400 at 15/1 odds, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. (20/1), Marcos Ambrose (28/1), A.J. Allmendinger (30/1), Mark Martin (30/1), and Martin Truex Jr. (30/1) round out the top tier of betting favorites.
Jeff Burton could be the biggest wild card bet of the Kobalt Tools 400 at 40/1 odds at Sportsbook; Burton has two victories at Phoenix and a generous payout could be had for NASCAR bettors if he can make it three.