2011 Sprint Cup Series Predictions and Drivers to Bet on to Win the Championship of NASCAR: For gamblers that like to try their luck with future bets, the most popular option for NASCAR is picking the eventual Sprint Cup Series champion. Jimmie Johnson has kind of taken the fun out of things during his record-setting five-year run as champ, but there is always the possibility that this is the year the dynasty will crumble. If Johnson is dethroned, the payoff will be its biggest in several years, and smart betters will get in on the action early.
Title Contenders
Jimmie Johnson (5/2): Did I mention he has won the last five Sprint Cup Series titles? During that stretch Johnson has averaged seven wins and 23 top-10s each season, and he has more than twice as many wins as any other driver during the Chase. He has survived every conceivable challenge during his reign, winning in dominating fashion at times and coming from behind in the final race just last season. Just because the payoff isn’t great doesn’t mean Johnson isn’t the smart pick. In fact, betters should consider him a safety net and throw some money his way in case the streak reaches six years.
Carl Edwards (5/1): Edwards caught fire at the end of 2010, winning the final two races of the season. The momentum has clearly carried over to 2011, and he is now the frontrunner to knock off Johnson. With his victory at Las Vegas, Edwards has three wins in his last five races and four finishes of second or better. His lone blemish during the stretch came at Phoenix when he was wrecked after winning the pole and having arguably the fastest car on the track. Edwards has 19 career wins, and 10 have come at 1.5-mile track. Five of the 10 Chase races are held at 1.5-mile tracks, which should give Edwards a fighting chance.
Tony Stewart (8/1): Stewart is flying under the radar, but it is a bad move by betters to overlook the two-time champ. Don’t forget, Stewart was the last driver not named Jimmie Johnson to win a Cup Series title, and Stewart is the only driver to win titles under the traditional point system and the Chase system currently used. He is currently sitting atop the point standings in after the first three races of the 2011 season, and he has had a shot at winning all three events. When you consider that Stewart has generally been a slow starter throughout his career, the early success could be the sign of a monster season.
Denny Hamlin (6/1): He came as close as anyone has to dethroning Johnson, but he ultimately fell short last season. That being said, he did lead the series with eight victories, and he did so while driving with a knee that was surgically repaired in the middle of the season. The only question for Hamlin is whether or the not the frustration of missing out on the title last season will cause a hangover in 2011. He has been good but not great in the first three races of the year, but he has improved his result in every start. Like Stewart, Hamlin is a notoriously slow starter. I expect him to return to his 2010 form in the coming weeks, and betters should get in on the action now while the odds are at their most favorable.
Kyle Busch (5/1): He won a Truck Series owner’s title last season as well as a Nationwide Series owner’s title for Joe Gibbs Racing. The only thing missing from Busch’s resume is a Cup Series crown, and that could come in 2011. He was the point leader until suffering an engine failure at Vegas, and the No. 18 Toyota has been fast at every track on the schedule so far. Busch’s talent is off the charts, and he has 88 wins between NASCAR’s three national series to prove it. Busch is a championship waiting to happen, and if this is the year it does, betters will want to cash in.
MY FREE PREDICTION: WINNER will be Jimmie Johnson
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