Beating the Odds on the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400: Potential Sleeper Drivers to Bet On

2012 Kobalt Tools 400 Betting Odds Breakdown – Who to Bet On and How to Win Money on the Kobalt Tools 400: A few years ago, a trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway didn’t have a lot of potential for bettors. Jimmie Johnson owned the track, winning three straight races from 2005 to 2007. However, the track’s surface was changed following the 2007 season, and progressive banking was added to increase speeds and make passing easier. In the four races since the changes, three different drivers have gone to Victory Lane. As a result, bettors can actually consider some sleeper options when trying to predict the winner, and sleepers mean the potential for more money.

At 35/1 odds, Marcos Ambrose can turn a small bet into a big payout Sunday. Considering his steady improvement at the track, a trip to Victory Lane isn’t out of the question. Ambrose has made three starts at the track, finishing 20th in his debut, 14th in 2010 and a career-best fourth last year. It is no coincidence that his fourth-place effort came in his first year with Richard Petty Motorsports. The organization has had a history of success at 1.5-mile tracks like Vegas, and Ambrose was an immediate beneficiary. With another year to gel with his team, Ambrose could be in for a breakout performance at one of his better tracks.

His Cup Series career has been somewhat of a disappointment thus far, but Joey Logano is still young. He is also off to a fast start in 2012, finishing in the top 10 in the first two races of the year. For a driver that has been at his best when his confidence is high, the back-to-back top-10s could easily jumpstart a hot streak. That being said, he is still be overlooked by oddsmakers, in large part because of his dismal 2011 season. At 40/1 odds and with momentum on his side, Logano could be a sleeping giant this weekend at Vegas. In three career starts at the track, he has a pair of top-15 finishes, including a sixth-place run in 2010. There is nothing wrong with riding a hot hand at Vegas, especially when it is one of Logano’s better tracks.

Bettors looking for a true longshot should consider David Reutimann. At 100/1 odds, the potential for a big day certainly exists, and although he got fired in the offseason, his situation really isn’t that bad. He is driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing this weekend, and while the organization is smaller than most, it also made a lucrative move prior to the start of the year. TBR agreed to let newcomer Danica Patrick use its owner points in exchange for equipment and personnel from Patrick’s employer – Stewart-Haas Racing. Reutimann is filling in for Patrick on the weeks she doesn’t race, and he gets to do so behind the wheel of the same equipment that propelled Tony Stewart to a championship last season. Throw in the fact that Reutimann has three straight top-15 finishes at Las Vegas and has two career wins at 1.5-mile tracks, and he doesn’t seem like such a longshot.

Check out the latest 2012 Kobalt Tools 400 odds and free picks updated daily from NSAwins.com.