2011 Coca-Cola 600 Breakdown – Beating the Odds: Who to Bet On

2011 Coca-Cola 600 Betting Odds Breakdown – Who to Bet On and How to Win Money on the Coca-Cola 600: The longer a race goes, the more unpredictable it can become. This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, drivers will face the longest race of the year. The 600-mile event is famous for engine failures and drastic temperature changes that throw off the handling of cars. The race is also famous for producing first time and surprise winners, including Casey Mears and David Reutimann. In a year that has already seen some upsets, this weekend’s race could continue the trend.

One driver bettors should be running to put some money on is Jamie McMurray. He is only getting 33/1 odds to win this weekend, but it could easily be argued that he should be one of the favorites. After all, he sat on the pole and finished second in the Coca-Cola 600 last year, and he won the fall event at Charlotte. Not to mention the fact that he is a two-time winner at the track. Nobody had a better year at Charlotte than McMurray in 2010, and why not take the chance that he continues his dominance in 2011.

Thanks to his horrible luck this year, Joey Logano has become an afterthought for oddsmakers, and he is only getting 33/1 odds to win this weekend. However, his numbers at Charlotte call for much better odds. In four starts at the track, Logano has compiled a series-best 8.5 average finish. He has three top-10 finishes during the stretch, and he has never finished worse than 13th. Logano is a talented enough driver that he can win on any given week, and Charlotte is a good track for him to do it.

His age is often viewed as a negative, but veteran Mark Martin can use his age to his advantage this weekend. The Coca-Cola 600 requires patience and a smart approach, and Martin is still one of the smartest drivers in the field. He showed that fact as recent as last year when he finished fourth in this event. At 30/1 odds, the former Charlotte winner is definitely worth a look from bettors this weekend.

As good as he has been the last two seasons, it is understandable that Kevin Harvick would get decent odds to win this weekend. However, his 12/1 odds to win this weekend are a little generous. After all, he has just one top-10 finish in his last 14 starts at the track, and Harvick hasn’t had a top-five finish since his Charlotte debut way back in 2001.

Former Charlotte winner Tony Stewart is getting 12/1 odds to win this weekend as well, but his recent runs at Charlotte haven’t exactly been encouraging. He hasn’t had a top-10 finish at the track in his last six starts, and he hasn’t had a top-five finish since his win 14 starts ago. Stewart will do his share of winning this season, but a trip to Victory Lane at Charlotte seems unlikely.

Although he is heading in the right direction, Denny Hamlin still isn’t back to his 2010 form. That didn’t stop oddsmakers from giving him 12/1 odds to win this weekend. While he is normally capable of winning almost anywhere, Charlotte is one of the exceptions. He has never won at the track, and he has just a single top-five finish. In 11 total starts, Hamlin has just three top-10s.

Bettors looking for a true longshot this weekend should consider David Ragan. At 65/1 odds, the payoff would be very nice, and Ragan does have a lot going for him. He finished 10th at Charlotte last fall, and he has been running well in 2011 as the Ford drivers in general have rebounded. Earlier this year, Ragan sat on the pole and finished in the top 10 in Texas, and Charlotte has almost an identical layout. There is potential here.