2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500 Predictions – Betting Preview + Picks + Odds
The Sprint Cup series heads west this week to Phoenix International Speedway for the running of the Subway Fresh Fit 500, which is the second point race of this year’s Sprint Cup racing season.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Subway Fresh Fit 500 Preview and Prediction
Race: Subway Fresh Fit 500
Date: Sunday, March 4, 2012
Time: 2:30 p.m. (ET)
Broadcast: FOX
What kind of effect last week’s extended stay at Daytona for the rain and fire-delayed running of the Daytona 500 has on this race remains to be seen, but you can rest assured that the action will be fast and furious as drivers try and get an early jump on this season’s ‘Race to the Chase’.
The following is a closer look at our favorite, contender, and longshot picks for Sunday’s race with odds provided by Bovada.
The Favorite (odd of less than 10/1)
It has been a rough start for five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson after a wreck on the second lap took him out of the Daytona 500 and an illegal modification to the No.48 card slapped his racing team with numerous suspensions and a brutal 25-point penalty.
Despite all this turmoil, he will open as a 15/2 favorite to win on Sunday and for good reason.
He has four career victories at this track and an average finishing position of 5.4. Johnson has come very close to adding a few more titles at Phoenix over the past few years with a third-place finish in this race in both 2010 and 2011.
The Contender (odds from 10/1 to 19/1)
Kevin Harvick finished third in the Sprint Cup point standings last year while posting four victories along the way. He opened this season as one of the favorites to win at Daytona but could only work his way to a seventh-place finish after starting 13th.
This week he has longer odds at 11/1, but still has to be considered a legitimate threat to win on Sunday.
Harvick has already won twice at Phoenix with a season sweep in 2006. Since then, he has posted two additional top-10 finishes including a fourth-place finish in this race last year.
The Longshot (odds 20/1 or greater)
Ryan Newman may not be a household name when it comes to Sprint Cup racing, but the 10-year veteran is in a great position to make some noise this week in Phoenix despite being a moderate 20/1 longshot to win.
He is coming off one of the best seasons in his career with one victory and eight other top-five finishes. [ad-8757089]
The reason he is our longshot pick this week is the fact that two of those top five’s came at this track.
In fact, Newman has posted four straight top-five finishes at Phoenix including a victory in this race in 2010.
Odds to Win the Subway Fresh Fit 500
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Stewart, Tony 7-1
Busch, Kurt 7-1
Busch, Kyle 7-1
Johnson, Jimmie 7-1
Edwards, Carl 7-1
Gordon, Jeff 8-1
Kahne, Kasey 10-1
Hamlin, Denny 10-1
Harvick, Kevin 10-1
Kenseth, Matt 12-1
Keselowski, Brad 15-1
Biffle, Greg 18-1
Newman, Ryan 20-1
Earnhardt Jr., Dale 25-1
Martin, Mark 30-1
Allmendinger, A.J. 30-1
Bowyer, Clint 30-1
Truex Jr., Martin 30-1
Burton, Jeff 40-1
Montoya, Juan 50-1
McMurray, Jamie 50-1
Lagano, Joey 50-1
Menard, Paul 60-1
Ambrose, Marcos 75-1
Smith, Regan 100-1
Labonte, Bobby 500-1
Ragan, David 500-1
Against the Field (any other driver) 60-1
*SPRINT Cup Odds provided by Bovada
