NASCAR betting fittingly heads to the Automotive State for this weekend's LifeLock 400 at the Michigan International Speedway.
The unique D-shaped, two-mile track is one of the fastest courses on the Sprint Cup Series with speeds ripping past the 200 mile-per-hour mark.
Heading into the weekend Jimmie Johnson is the sportsbook favorite at +500 to win the LifeLock 400. Johnson is still in a tight race for the Chase championship; he’s currently sitting in third place in the points standings. He wrapped last week's run at Pocono in seventh place after starting in the third spot. At Michigan, Johnson has an average start of ninth but has posted an average finish of 14.4. In Johnson's most recent showing in the Irish Hills he started in third but plummeted to 17th during the 3M Performance 400 last September.
Carl Edwards (+600 @ betus), who sits 178 points behind Johnson in the standings, is one of the best active drivers at this track. He's taken two checkered flags in just nine career starts at Michigan. On top of those, Edwards has an average finish of 6.6 at one of his favorite tracks. He's been on fire in recent runs, finishing in the Top 10 in four straight races including a sec/carond-place finish at Pocono last weekend.
Also priced at +600 for Sunday's race is Kyle Busch, who has drawn more attention for his victory lane displays than for his efforts on the track. Following his Nationwide win at Nashville, Busch smashed the race's custom-painted guitar trophy, drawing the ire of many racing fans. The controversial driver can make the angry mob forget about his actions if he can build on his success at Michigan. In eight career starts at the “D”, Busch has three Top-10 placings and he’s coming off a second-place finish at last September's event.
Greg Biffle (+700) continues his hunt for his first win of the season at Michigan. Biffle is currently ranked seventh in the points standings after putting up four Top-5 placings this year. Sunday's race could finally end the drought for the No. 16 Ford. He has two career wins at the two-mile track and placed fourth in his most recent appearance at Michigan.
Jeff Gordon (+800) is just 71 points behind Chase leader Tony Stewart (+1000) after finishing fourth in Pennsylvania last weekend. Gordon has started 32 races at Michigan but has just two checkered flags to show for it.
His rival, Stewart, is coming off a win at Pocono and is scorching heading into this week's event. Stewart has finished inside the Top 3 in seven of the past 10 races with two of those races finishing with wins. He has one win at Michigan, claiming the DHL 400 back in 2000.
Matt Kenseth (+1200) is hoping one of his best tracks can bump him up the standings. After starting the schedule with two early wins, the No. 17 car has just one Top-3 finish but has wound up in the Top 10 in four of the last five races. Kenseth has two wins and nine Top-5 finishes in 19 career starts at Michigan, posting an average finish of ninth place.