2013 Food City 500 Predictions
After wrapping-up a two-race West Coast swing, NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series returns back east for the running of the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The green flag for Sunday’s race is set to wave at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500 Preview and Prediction
Race: Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2013
Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
Broadcast: FOX
Odds: BOVADA
Matt Kenseth wasted little time taking his first checkered flag this season with a victory in last Sunday’s race at Las Vegas. Kasey Kahne turned in a good showing by taking second and defending Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski finished third.
The following is a closer look at our favorite, contender, and longshot picks for this Sunday’s race with odds provided by Bovada.
The Favorite (odd of less than 10/1)
Bovada actually opened Kyle Busch as the favorite to win this race but next on the list at 13/2 is Brad Keselowski.
Already putting up a strong defense of his 2012 title, he has raced his way to three top-five finishes in the first three point races while leading a total of 33 laps.
This has the No.2 car sitting in second place in the Sprint Cup standings with 124 points. What makes Keselowski even more attractive at these odds is the fact that he comes into Bristol as the defending champion in this race.
This win followed a first-place finish in the second race at this track in 2011. [ad-8757089]
The Contender (odds from 10/1 to 19/1)
Carl Edwards lost the 2011 Sprint Cup title on a tie-breaker, but faded into the sunset last season by not even making the Chase. It appears that he has successfully returned to form in 2013 with a win at Phoenix and a fifth-place finish in last week’s race.
This week he has been opened at 14/1 to win at Bristol and coupled with his previous performance at this track, offers some solid value with these odds.
The No.99 car turned in two forgettable performances at this track last season but looking back at 2011, Edwards finished second in this race and ended-up ninth in his second trip to Bristol that year.
The Longshot (odds 20/1 or greater)
Ryan Newman is mired in 30th-place in the current standings with just 50 points, but he showed signs of life at Daytona with a fifth-place finish. This week he has been opened at a 40/1 to win and definitely worth a second look if you are looking for some long odds for this race.
Last year, the No. 39 car finished 12th in this race, but in Newman’s previous six races at this track, he has been able to work his way into the top 10 on five separate occasions.
Odds to Win the Food City 500
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Jimmie Johnson 5/1
Denny Hamlin 7/1
Kyle Busch 7/1
Brad Keselowski 7/1
Kasey Kahne 12/1
Matt Kenseth 12/1
Tony Stewart 12/1
Carl Edwards 12/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 12/1
Greg Biffle 12/1
Kevin Harvick 15/1
Clint Bowyer 20/1
Martin Truex Jr 25/1
Brian Vickers 30/1
Joey Logano 40/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Juan Montoya 60/1
Jamie McMurray 60/1
Ricky Stenhouse 60/1
Paul Menard 75/1
Kurt Busch 75/1
Marcos Ambrose 75/1
Aric Almirola 100/1
Jeff Burton 100/1
AJ Allmendinger 300/1
Danica Patrick 500/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
*SPRINT Cup Odds provided by Bovada
