2011 Showtime Southern 500 Breakdown – Beating the Odds: Who to Bet On

2011 Showtime Southern 500 Betting Odds Breakdown – Who to Bet On and How to Win Money on NASCAR Betting this week: When Darlington Raceway was constructed, the owner of the land required that his minnow pond be preserved in order to allow the track’s construction. The result was an egg-shaped track with two completely different sets of turns, which has been causing headaches for drivers since the early years of NASCAR. Given the track’s unique shape, it is no surprise that certain drivers tend to excel at Darlington. However, not all the successful drivers are big names. Bettors can take advantage of the trickiness of Darlington to hit it big.

Topping the list of the underrated is Ryan Newman. He has been a consistent top-10 driver at the track throughout his career, yet he is only getting 30/1 odds to win this weekend. Newman has finished in the top-10 in eight of his 11 starts at the track, including five top-10s in his last six starts. He has finished as high as second at Darlington, and bettors should jump on his favorable odds.

After finishing 20th or worse in his first three starts at Darlington, Juan Pablo Montoya found a handle on the track last season. He finished fifth in last year’s Southern 500, and he has been steadily improving his performance at the intermediate ovals in recent years. Montoya is as talented as any driver in the series, and his first oval win is going to happen sooner rather than later. In case it comes this weekend, bettors need to get in on his 33/1 odds.

It has been a rough year for Jeff Burton, but his 28/1 odds are still too good to pass up considering his record at Darlington. He is a two-time winner at the track, and he has finished 12th or better in his last five starts. Burton’s 10.4 average finish at the track during the past decade is the fourth-best mark in the series during the stretch. For as reliable as he has been, Burton’s odds make him worth a look this weekend.

For all his success in the Cup Series, a victory at Darlington has eluded Tony Stewart. Despite being winless at the track, he is getting 12/1 odds in this weekend’s race. In fact, he has just three top-five finishes in 17 career starts. Most weeks, Stewart is one of the top options for bettors. However, Darlington is a rare exception.

He is enjoying a solid 2011 season, but Kevin Harvick and his 11/1 odds are a bit overzealous. In 14 starts at Darlington, he has just three top-five finishes. More importantly, he has just a single top-10 finish in his last seven starts. Harvick has proven he is a threat to win races this year, but Darlington has always been a trouble spot for him.

The top option for big score for bettors is Brad Keselowski. His 9.5 average finish at Darlington is the third-best mark among active drivers, but he is only getting 100/1 odds to win this weekend’s race. Granted, he has struggled as a whole since joining the Cup Series full-time, but his record at Darlington speaks for itself. Keselowski has a shot this weekend.

View the most current vegas betting odds to win the 2011 Showtime Southern 500 for this Saturday, May 7th in Darlington.