The favorite to claim the checkered flag at this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race is current points leader Carl Edwards, who is set at 5/1 by the oddsmakers to win the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Edwards has been watching his lead atop the standings shrink the last couple of weeks, and he suffered a big blow last week when he finished well back in 37th place at Pocono.
Edwards has won twice in his career at Michigan, in 2007 and in 2008. In his last eight starts at Michigan he has seven Top-10 finishes and five Top-5 finishes, making him a worthy pick for bettors this weekend.
Last year at Michigan Denny Hamlin won the spring race to notch his first career victory on the track. Hamlin has cracked the Top 10 in four of his last six races but he's a 12/1 underdog at Sportsbook to repeat as the Sportsbook this weekend at Michigan. Hamlin finished second in the summer race at Michigan last season, and he finished in the Top 3 in three of his last four starts on the track.
Last week Jeff Gordon visited Victory Lane for the second time this season, winning the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono. Gordon has won twice at Michigan in his career but it's been awhile, with his last win on the track coming in 2001.Gordon has come close at Michigan in recent years with a pair of second-place finishes in 2009, and if his recent resurgence is for real he's worth at least a few bucks at 11/1 at Sportsbook.
Besides Edwards, other drivers getting high marks from the oddsmakers at Sportsbook this weekend include Jimmie Johnson, at 15/2, and Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, both at 10/1. Johnson has moved within six points of Edwards for top spot in the driver standings, but bettors may want to think twice about picking him this weekend. Johnson has never won at Michigan, and he's been pretty unlucky on the track recently with only three Top-10 finishes in his last nine starts.
Busch is also looking for his first career Sprint Cup win at Michigan, and he's had similar results as Johnson lately; Busch has cracked the Top 10 only once in his last seven starts at Michigan.
Kenseth has the best history at Michigan from that trio with a pair of wins, coming in 2002 and 2006. Kenseth has also finished in the Top 5 in four of his last seven starts at Michigan.
Odds to Win Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Sportsbook:
Carl Edwards 5/1
Jimmie Johnson 15/2
Kyle Busch 10/1
Matt Kenseth 10/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 11/1
Jeff Gordon 11/1
Kevin Harvick 11/1
Denny Hamlin 12/1
Greg Biffle 12/1
Tony Stewart 12/1
Kurt Busch 16/1
Kasey Kahne 22/1
Clint Bowyer 25/1
David Ragan 30/1
Brian Vickers 35/1
Jeff Burton 40/1
Joey Logano 40/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 40/1
Mark Martin 40/1
Ryan Newman 40/1
Brad Keselowski 45/1
Jamie McMurray 60/1
Martin Truex Jr. 60/1
David Reutimann 65/1
Marcos Ambrose 65/1
A.J. Allmendinger 75/1
Paul Menard 75/1
Regan Smith 125/1
Trevor Bayne 200/1
Bobby Labonte 250/1
Andy Lally 500/1
Brian Keselowski 500/1
Casey Mears 500/1
Dave Blaney 500/1
David Gilliliand 500/1
David Stemme 500/1
J.J. Yeley 500/1
Joe Nemechek 500/1
Landon Cassill 500/1
Michael McDowell 500/1
Mike Bliss 500/1
Mike Skinner 500/1
Robby Gordon 500/1
Scott Riggs 500/1
T.J. Bell 500/1
Tony Raines 500/1
Travis Kvapil 500/1
