Sports betting for the 2010 NASCAR season kicks off on Sunday with the Daytona 500. Mark Martin will be on the pole with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the outside of row one. Those two are not the favorites in Internet sports betting though as both Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart have lower odds.
Sports betting on the Daytona could be more exciting than ever this year. NASCAR made some rule changes and if Thursday’s qualifying races are any indication, it is going to be a great race on Sunday. Thursday’s races were decided by just inches and the same type of finish could happen on Sunday. It should also be noted that NASCAR is going to try very hard to get a finish under the green flag as they will try as many as three green-white-checkered restarts to get the race to finish under the green. That type of finish is really a two-lap shootout. The cars go green and then race around once and take the white flag for the final lap. The change comes because Kevin Harvick was the Internet sports betting for the Bud Shootout under caution.
The field was set for the Daytona in Internet sports betting after Thursday’s two qualifying races. The only two positions that were already decided were the pole which went to Martin and the second spot that went to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jimmie Johnson won the first qualifying duel while Kasey Kahne won the second. There was sports betting drama in both races and some drivers like Michael Waltrip slipped into the race while others like Casey Mears didn’t make it.
As you look at the sports betting odds for the Daytona there are some logical contenders. Tony Stewart has won everything at Daytona in Internet sports betting except the 500 so he is due. He has three Cup wins, four Nationwide wins and three victories in the Bud Shootout at Daytona. Kyle Busch has led the most laps in the 500 the past two years but doesn’t have a win. Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has seven Top-10 finishes in nine sports betting races at Daytona. Kurt Busch may be more overdue at Daytona than anyone. He has been in the top-five in five of his nine races. Jr. is a threat as well in sports betting since he has two wins at Daytona. If you are looking for Martin to win from the pole in sports betting you might want to reconsider. He is winless in 49 starts at Daytona.