Fontana NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi 400: Las Vegas Odds and Picks to Win

The Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California will host the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi 400 this weekend.

With Las Vegas just down Interstate 15, maybe a couple of drivers will be tempted to stop in and place a bet on themselves.

The Las Vegas Hilton Superbook's posted odds for the Pepsi 400 don't give many value opportunities for the savvy NASCAR bettor, but past history may give some clues.

The Auto Club Speedway is a long, flat two-mile track that has a reputation for being a boring race. This year the race has been shortened to 400 miles or 200 laps, and the weather will be hot at 95 degrees. Turns one and two of the Auto Club Speedway are minimal banking and lead to the long back stretch. Entering turns three and four the track banking is still flat but has more banking than turns one and two.

This type of track suits certain drivers. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are good fits on this track, but the top three Roush Fenway drivers—Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth—are all very good on this flat, fast two-mile track as well. Drivers that will do well Sunday will be good wheel men that love a hot, slick track.

The Favorites Won't Make a NASCAR Bettor Much Money, but They Are Best Bets

Jimmie Johnson is once again the odds-on favorite to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi 400 and complete the sweep in Fontana. Johnson is going off at ridiculously low odds of 2-1. With Johnson at 2-1 there are 15 other drivers with a legitimate chance to beat the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy. 

Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, and Greg Biffle are listed at 8-1 to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi 400. All three of these drivers have a legitimate shot to win this race. Gordon is hungry and is on a 58-race winless streak, and this would be a perfect place for him to end his drought. Gordon is a California native, and he has won in his home state eight times but only three times in Fontana.

The two Roushkateers, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, at 8-1 are also solid choices to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi 400. The Roush Fenway engines are purring, and both of these drivers love the Fontana two-mile track.

Looking for a Couple of Long Shots?

Long shots in NASCAR rarely pay off, as the cream usually rises to the top as the race gets down to the final 50 laps.

Sam Hornish Jr. will be out of NASCAR Sprint Cup after this season and moving back to the IRL. It may not be official as of yet, but the decision is eminent. Hornish Jr. will be racing at a track he performs well on. Hornish has a chance to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pepsi Max 400, and he is 500-1. Now that is a long shot.

Another long shot is not as big, but A.J. Allmendinger at 60-1 has run up front the last five races and led plenty of laps in Dover before a well-timed yellow put him down a lap. If Allmendinger qualifies well on Friday, he will run well in open air.

Final Picks

Best Bet

Jimmie Johnson 2-1

Best Cover Bet

Jeff Gordon 8-1

Best Long Shot

Sam Hornish Jr.

500-1