General Discussion » Toyota recall includes 3.8 million cars sold in the USA
November 2, 2009 General Motors is recalling all models because of a problem with plastic supply and return ports on the modular reservoir assembly. The ...
Mike Hembree: When in Vegas, NASCAR’s a bestseller with sports books
By Mike Hembree - Associate Editor
Saturday, February 28, 2009
$util.encode.html($!content.articlePhoto.caption)
COMMENTARY
LAS VEGAS – One of the most interesting aspects of NASCAR’s annual visit to Las Vegas is that so many people are so willing to predict what’s going to happen here Sunday in the Shelby 427.
And they do it for everyone to see and they do it for profit.
Their work is on display – very, very large display – in the sports book areas of the casinos around town. Their job is to produce odds on the chances of individual drivers in the field winning the race. Produced by research, recent race results, track history and perhaps a little late-night guesstimation, their odds are right there, brightly lit in white, red and green, on huge screens on the walls of the sports books, which are cavernous rooms where guys – yes, mostly guys – gather and smoke cigars and ponder the future of sports.
The books do this kind of business here all year, of course, and their odds boards currently hold numbers for an array of other sports, including college and pro basketball, and preseason guesses on how many games each Major League Baseball team will win this season.
You can place bets on everything from the halftime score of a basketball game to professional golf and college hockey. College hockey?
From the racing perspective, this is the only event on the schedule where drivers can wander into a race-city casino – and, of course, some of them do, maybe repeatedly – and see their names and the scientifically reasoned analysis of their hopes and dreams illuminated for all the world to see.
It would seem to be a potentially humbling experience, this idea that somebody with a bank of computers and calculators and a hunch can so boldly predict your job performance.
Imagine going to work Monday and discovering that some smart aleck has posted on the company bulletin board an estimate of how many widgets you will produce.
The odds differ from casino to casino, but generally only slightly.
At the Las Vegas Hilton, Jimmie Johnson, he of the “troubled” start to the season, is listed at 5-1 for Sunday’s race. Carl Edwards is at 9-2 and Kyle Busch at 6-1.
If you think Matt Kenseth’s two-for-two start to the season might make him the prohibitive favorite, you’d be wrong. He’s 6-1.
Some drivers who are proven Sprint Cup winners have some long odds – Clint Bowyer 60-1, Kevin Harvick 30-1, Jeff Burton 40-1, Kasey Kahne 40-1, Ryan Newman 100-1, Juan Pablo Montoya 100-1.
Do drivers notice these things? If somebody posted you at 60-1, wouldn’t you want to prove him or her wrong?
“I didn’t even look,” said Clint Bowyer, who, trying to get a new team up and running properly, has bigger fish to fry. “We’ll bet big and win big then, huh?”
How the ultimate numbers – those to do with finish position and cash won – will roll out Sunday remains to be seen, of course. It’s a safe bet, though, that most of the folks starting at that big betting board over the weekend won’t be going home with a winner.
The odds are simply against it.
Mentioned Drivers: Jimmie Johnson
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
Popular News
-
Championship battle may not be tight, but Chase still has some intrigue
Comments (79) -
Kyle Busch would consider Nationwide title his biggest achievement in NASCAR
Comments (70) -
Denny Hamlin vows to retaliate against Brad Keselowski
Comments (70) -
Jeff Gluck: Brad Keselowski's aggressive style should be embraced, not criticized
Comments (53) -
Jimmie Johnson's Texas trouble reignites NASCAR Sprint Cup championship battle
Comments (48)
Recent Headlines
-
Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday cap off championship year for KHI
Post Comment -
Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards spins, leads final Nationwide practice
Post Comment -
Colin Braun wins Truck pole for season finale
Post Comment -
Denny Hamlin to have minor knee surgery Wednesday
Comments (1) -
Jimmie Johnson snags pole for Ford 400 at Homestead
Comments (9)
Poll PositionView All
Which has been most detrimental to NASCAR television ratings and attendance this season?
Promotions
-
Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!
-
Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.
-
Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.
-
Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.
Comments
2 responses to "Mike Hembree: When in Vegas, NASCAR’s a bestseller with sports books ". Post a Comment.
Werner Boehmert said:
Feb 28, 2009 at 3:57 PMi imagine with all those NASCAR fans in town someone's bound to wager a few $$$...
Report as Abusethat is if ya got one of those discounted tix and have a few extra $$$...i wouldn't be happy paying $100 for a seat and the guy next to me paid $50...
Report Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse ReportPat Draper said:
Mar 1, 2009 at 9:48 AMThats Life Werner.
Report as AbuseReport Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Report