Ambrose NASCAR goes to a road course this week which means Jimmie Johnson is not the favorite at the sportsbook sites. Johnson is a decent road course driver but others are more accomplished on road courses. Marcos Ambrose and Tony Stewart are the favorites this week at the offshore sportsbook in Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen.
Sportsbook site odds list Ambrose and Stewart as the 3-1 favorites at Watkins Glen. Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya are the co-third choices at 8-1 while Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson are 8-1. The Chase is getting closer and this is a key week for many drivers since road courses are different than other races.
It appears to be a two-man race for the final spot in the Chase. Clint Bowyer is in 12th place while Mark Martin is 34 points back. With just five races remaining before the chase it is probably between those two for the 12th and final spot.
This week it could be all about Tony Stewart. He is a five-time winner at Watkins Glen. He has finished first or second in his last six starts at the track. The driver that was second to Stewart last year was Marcos Ambrose. It makes sense that those two are the favorites at the offshore sportsbook this week. In two starts at Watkins Glen, Ambrose has finished second and third.
Although he is not among the favorites this week, Denny Hamlin has some good numbers at Watkins Glen. He has been in the top 10 in all four of his starts at the track and has the third best finishing average behind Stewart and Ambrose. Hamlin is 21-1 to win this week.
If you are looking for a long shot this week then Robby Gordon is worth a look. He has finished in the top five in three of his last five races at the track and he is a former winner. Robby Gordon is 21-1. Another long shot is Boris Said who is a road course specialist and he is also 21-1.
Two drivers to avoid this week could be Jeff Gordon whose average finish at Watkins Glen is 20.2 while Jeff Burton’s average finish is 31.7 in his last three starts at the track.