2012 Crown Royal 400 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Crown Royal 400 Favorites and Sleepers to Win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: NASCAR betting odds to win the 2012 Crown Royal 400(formerly called the Brickyard 400) this Sunday, July 29th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana have been posted at all the major Las Vegas and best online sportsbooks with Jimmie Johnson having been installed as the 7/1 +700 favorite to win the 2012 Crown Royal 400.
If NASCAR had Grand Slam events, this weekend’s Brickyard 400 would be one of them. Outside of the Daytona 500, Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the biggest race of the year in the Sprint Cup Series. The tradition of the 2.5-mile oval is unmatched by any track in the United States, and some of the greatest drivers of all-time have turned laps during Indianapolis’ more than 100-year history. Big names have dominated the Brickyard 400, and only four of the 18 races have been one by drivers without a series championship to their name. On the plus side, two of the four exceptions have come in the last two seasons, giving bettors some hope for an upset Sunday.
In last year’s race, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne took turns dominating the event, and the two combined to lead 84 of the 160 laps. However, a long stretch of green flag laps to close the race brought fuel mileage into play. While some drivers elected to gamble and stay out, others pitted early and took four tires, and some stopped for fuel only. With the running order shuffled, Paul Menard found himself out front and waiting to see if his fuel tank went dry. It never did, and he led the final 21 laps on his way to his first-ever Cup Series win. Gordon made a furious charge in the closing laps on fresh tires, but he was forced to settle for second.
The Favorites – 2012 Crown Royal 400 Odds, Predictions and Free Picks
Indiana native Tony Stewart has given his home-state fans plenty to cheer about over the years. He leads all drivers with an 8.1 average finish at Indianapolis, and he also owns the best driver rating in track history. Stewart is a two-time winner of the Brickyard 400, and he has finished ninth or better in nine of his 13 starts. He has three straight finishes of sixth or better at Indy, and with a series-leading three wins already in 2012, he could be kissing the bricks for a third time this weekend.
His Chase push might be too little too late, but a win at Indianapolis would certainly help Jeff Gordon’s chances. Considering he has won the Brickyard 400 a record four times, a victory Sunday isn’t out of the question. Gordon has also finished in the top 10 in 14 of his 18 starts at the track, and he finished second last year after leading the secod-most laps. He flat out knows how to get the job done at Indy.
Although he is far from consistent at Indianapolis, Jimmie Johnson has to be in the conversation when discussing potential winners. His three wins at the track are the second most all-time, and all three victories have come in the last six races. On the downside, his three wins are his only top-15 finishes in his last nine Indy starts, but being one of only three active drivers with multiple Brickyard 400 wins makes him a serious threat.
The Dark Horses – 2012 Crown Royal 400 Odds, Predictions and Free Picks
One driver that always seems to step up in big races is Kevin Harvick. He won the Brickyard 400 in 2003, and he is also a former winner of the Coca-Cola 600, the Daytona 500 and the All-Star Race. Harvick came very close to winning a second race at Indy in 2006, and he came within one restart of winning in 2010. Overall, Harvick has finished 11th or better in nine of his 11 starts, and he is one of just three active drivers to average a top-10 finish at Indianapolis. Harvick is at his best on the big stages, and it doesn’t get much bigger than the Brickyard.
Roush Fenway Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle have combined to spend most of the year atop the standings, and both would love to continue the success with a win at Indianapolis. Neither driver has won the Brickyard 400, but Biffle’s four straight top-10s at the track give him the longest active streak. Meanwhile, Kenseth has finished second at the track on two occasions, and he is coming off a fifth-place finish in last year’s race. Both drivers are capable of kissing the bricks for the first time this weekend.
Sleeper Specials – 2012 Crown Royal 400 Odds, Predictions and Free Picks
It seems like Mark Martin is always coming up just short on NASCAR’s biggest stages. He is a four-time runner-up for the series championship, and he finished second in the 2007 Dayton a 500 by 0.020 seconds. He is also a two-time runner-up at Indianapolis, and Martin owns the second-best driver rating in track history. Sure, his track record at sealing the deal in big moments isn’t great, but with seven straight finishes of 11th or better at Indy, he is basically a lock to be in contention.
For the past year and a half, Jamie McMurray has been pretty darn terrible at just about every track he has gone to. One of the few exceptions during his slump has been Indianapolis. McMurray won the Brickyard 400 in 2010, and he followed up the victory with a strong fourth-place showing last year. Overall, he has finished sixth or better in three of his last four starts at the track and has five top-10s in nine career starts. If there is going to be a silver lining to McMurray’s forgettable 2012 season, it could happen this weekend.
Big Name to Avoid – 2012 Crown Royal 400 Odds, Predictions and Free Picks
He has been strong all year and is a legitimate championship contender, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never had much luck at Indianapolis. In 12 career starts at the track, he has managed an unimpressive 21.7 average finish. Junior has just two top-10s in those starts, and he has never finished in the top five. He has also finished outside the top 15 in his last three starts at Indy, and even in the middle of a monster season, it is tough to see Junior kissing the bricks this weekend.
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2012 Crown Royal 400 Odds – July 29th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Driver Odds to Win the 2012 Crown Royal 400
101 Jimmie Johnson +700
102 Tony Stewart +800
103 Greg Biffle +800
104 Matt Kenseth +1000
105 Denny Hamlin +1000
106 Jeff Gordon +1200
107 Dale Earnhardt Jr +1200
108 Kyle Busch +1200
109 Kasey Kahne +1200
110 Carl Edwards +1200
111 Brad Keselowski +1500
112 Kevin Harvick +1500
113 Mark Martin +1500
114 Clint Bowyer +2200
115 Martin Truex Jr +2200
116 Joey Logano +3000
117 Ryan Newman +3000
118 Juan Montoya +3000
119 Field +1500
Check the latest NASCAR Odds and Betting Lines from BOVADA below:
