Jake Ernst picks out the four best drivers to bet on for Sunday’s Save Mart 350 NASCAR race at Sonoma.
All odds taken from BetAmerica. Register a new account from New Jersey and claim up to $500 in Free Bets
It’s Jake here with a new category of sports betting for American Betting Experts. With similar odds and betting lines as golf, NASCAR could at times be a tough sport to wager on due to the large field of cars but is always one of the most rewarding. Sports books typically set the favorite for each race at around +500 to win, which is great value considering those are the Vegas odds for a favorite, not just any driver. But for those who like the low-risk high-reward bets, there are drivers who have odds of +100,000 and while it is a long shot, a simple $10 bet could end up netting you $10,000 (which would probably make you an instant fan of NASCAR).
The first course on the circuit that offers both left and right-hand turns (better known for a road-course) is this Sunday at 3pm and will be taking place at Sonoma Speedway in California. The Save Mart 350 is the first non-oval course on the NASCAR schedule each year and while it is unlike any other track, it could be somewhat predictable due to the fact that certain drivers seem to thrive on this type of course.
Martin Truex Jr. #19
As always, I bet on 3-4 drivers each race but if I had to bet on just one for Sunday, Truex would be my guy. The 38-year-old won this race just a year ago, has two wins over his last six races at this track and is tied with the Kyle Busch for the active wins leader at Sonoma. Due to his success at this track, Vegas pinned him as the second favorite to win the race behind Kevin Harvick but even with odds of +450, the value is there and he needs to be wagered on.
Chase Elliott #9
The son of Hall of Fame NASCAR driver Bill Elliott has had some success at road-courses in his career but has yet to win at Sonoma. On the positive side, he is only 23 years old and has raced here just twice in his career on the Monster Energy Cup Series level, finishing eighth in 2017 and fourth in 2018. The only other road-course on the schedule is Watkins Glen, NY and that is exactly where Elliott picked up his first-career win in August of last year. It’s safe to say that NASCAR’s most popular driver is off to a great start to his career on road courses and I think he will continue that on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney #12
Blaney is a sleeper pick for Sunday and much like Elliott, he has a limited amount of appearances (3) at Sonoma and it is still unclear just how good the 25-year-old is at this track. His first race here was during his rookie season when he finished 23rd while he was racing for a lower budget team and his most recent race was ended prematurely due to a wreck that was not his fault, causing him to finish 34th. These two races certainly won’t sound promising for a bettor but Blaney finished eighth at this track back in 2017 and has put together quite an impressive season so far. Vegas definitely took his lack of success at this track into factor when making the lines, as he is +2500 to win and +600 to finish 1-3.
Kyle Busch #18
By far the most dominant driver over the last few seasons, Busch has had success at basically every track, including Sonoma. With two wins under his belt at this track and having led laps in three of the last four races here, the 34-year-old is the third favorite to win with odds of +550. In addition to leading laps at Sonoma, the Las Vegas native has also finished in the top five in three of his last races here, with a seventh place finish being the outlier. Busch is the most appealing driver for me to bet on due to his aggressive and relentless driving style and will likely be one of your favorites too (especially once he starts winning you money).
