NASCAR Jack: Ford 400 matchup odds and picks

It’s less than three months to Valentine’s Day which coincides with the 2010 edition of the Daytona 500. But there is a bit of unfinished business to be done.

I don’t mean wiping the toast crumbs off my keyboard as I listen to Jimmy Buffett reminisce about shooting holes in his freezer.

I’m talking about the final race of the 2009 Sprint Cup series, the race where Jimmie Johnson (+400) will be crowned with his fourth straight championship, a first in NASCAR history.

The only thing in his way is 50-year old Mark Martin (+400), runner up in the championship on four occasions. That in itself is remarkable but it must also be disappointing for Martin. Today will be his last chance to be a champion.

To win it all he will have to wreck his teammate Jimmie on the first lap and then lead the most laps to a victory.

The chances of that happening are about as good as me wearing underwear.

Here are my matchups for Race 36 as posted on wsex.com:

Denny Hamlin (-130) vs. Carl Edwards (Even)

Denny has two third-place finishes in the past three years at Homestead. Carl has one win, three top 5s, four top 10s and an Average Finish (AF) of 6.4. We can’t ignore that AF even though Denny was fourth fastest in the final practice while Carl was 31st.

Take Edwards.

Kevin Harvick (-150) vs. Clint Boyer (+120)

Harvick has five top 10s in his last six tries here. His AF is 9.1. In Clint’s three visits he has two top 10s to go with his 39th place finish. Harvick won here Friday night making him happier than normal.

Take Harvick.

Matt Kenseth (-130) vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Even)

Matt has a win here while Junior is all zeros. Put that with the most dismal season Junior has ever had and everything points to Kenseth finishing ahead.

Take Matt.

Tony Stewart (-150) vs. Greg Biffle (+120)

I don’t know why there is such a spread between these two. Biffle has three wins here, Tony has two. Their practice times are pretty close. What am I missing besides a lug nut? I’m taking Biff because I have a good chance of cashing in.

Last five weeks: 12-8.

Rock on and have a good three months.  

3 comments

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truckerlee2 says:

11/22/09 04:48PM

i think jimmie will gwt in a bad wreck or blow a tire maybe an engine and finish aroun 30th and mark martin will get his first championship

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truckerlee2 says:

11/22/09 04:56PM

nascar needs to check rick hendricks for his cheating that he does and possibly paying off the inspectors to get away with cheating and if nascar goes to fuel injection next year i will quit watching nascar.and nascar needs to take the restrictor plates off the cars where everybody else can run good also nascar cart needs to make car owners buy crate motors for all cars and they pick up their engines at the track 3 days before the race and put them in the car and qaulify with that engine then change their engines tp the race engines for thr race

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truckerlee2 says:

11/22/09 05:02PM

one more thing watch out for the fords next year with the new engine package and the new mustang coming to nation wide series and the to cup series the fords will start dominating again and dale jr. needs to quit driving and put danica patrick in the car so, the car can get some wins and good fininshes for a change

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