2011 AdvoCare 500 Picks: Betting on Underdogs for Big Payoffs

2011 AdvoCare 500 Expert Picks: Betting on Underdogs for Big Payoffs – How to Bet on the AdvoCare 500: For the most part, Atlanta Motor Speedway has been dominated by the big names in NASCAR. Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards are among the drivers that have dominated at the track in recent years – each winning three times. That being said, AMS has seen a few upsets over the years, including Jerry Nadeau winning the 2000 race and Kevin Harvick winning in his rookie year. Whether or not there will be a surprise winner this weekend remains to be seen, but two drivers that have a shot at playing spoiler are Brian Vickers and Marcos Ambrose.

Flashback as recently as last season and Vickers would have been among the favorites heading into Atlanta. However, a potentially life-threatening heart condition sidelined him for a majority of the 2010 season. The layoff has taken its toll, and Vickers has struggled to regain his 2009 form that saw him make the Chase. Entering this weekend’s race, he sits 27th in the standings and has just a single top-five finish in 2011.

Despite the terrible numbers, there is reason for bettors to be optimistic about Vickers’ chances Sunday night. In his last six starts at Atlanta, he has tallied five top-10 finishes. In his last three starts at the track, he has three finishes of seventh or better, including a career-best fifth-place effort. More importantly, Vickers remained a contender this season at his other favorite track, finishing 10th and 15th in two starts at Michigan. If he still has the magic at Atlanta as well, he should at least have a shot at springing the upset if a few breaks go his way. Considering he is a 50/1 longshot to win, bettors may want to take a chance on Vickers at one of his best tracks.

Ambrose doesn’t have the history of success at Atlanta that Vickers does, but he has been solid in his recent starts. He finished 11th and 10th in two starts at AMS in 2010, showing marked improvement from his three previous starts when he failed to crack the top 20. The trend has been mirrored at several oval tracks on the schedule in recent years as Ambrose develops as an all-around driver instead of just a road racer.

While his own improvement behind the wheel should be enough to get the attention of bettors, his upgrade in equipment should seal the deal. Prior to the start of the 2011 season, Ambrose joined Richard Petty Motorsports. The organization has put Kasey Kahne in Victory Lane on two occasions at Atlanta, and it has helped Ambrose’s performance at 1.5-mile tracks tremendously this season. He already has a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas and a sixth-place run at Texas this season, meaning a win at AMS isn’t out of the question. Ambrose is getting 60/1 odds to win this weekend, and he could end up being a steal for bettors.

View the most current 2011 AdvoCare 500 Odds for the IRWIN Tools Night Race this Sunday, September 4th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.