Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Kobalt 400 driver matchup

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards

Darrin Bush/Las Vegas News Bureau

Ryan Newman walks the red carpet at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champions Awards at the Wynn on Dec. 2, 2011.

This Play of the Day, which uses odds from the South Point and $10,000 starting bankrolls, comes with a disclaimer: I don’t believe I’ve ever cashed a NASCAR bet in my life.

That makes me something like 0-for-1 or 0-for-2. Auto racing is not my sport, but it’s in the driver’s seat at sports books today, so I’ll give it a shot for once. I’ll gamble.

Ryan Newman minus-125 to finish better than Kyle Larson: $475 to win $380

Newman, a 14-year veteran, is one of the more underrated drivers in NASCAR. “Rocket Man” finished second in last year’s Sprint Cup standings with a consistent season. His average finish was just under 13th, two spots better than Larson.

And he’s continued to outdo the erstwhile rival — Newman forced Larson into a minor accident at Phoenix last year — through two races this season. Larson finished marginally better than Newman in the Daytona 500 but got smoked last week in Atlanta, which has a track more similar to Las Vegas.

Under the radar, Newman has developed a liking for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway over the past few years. Engine troubles kept him from finishing in 2013, but he’s placed in the top seven in his three other most recent appearances here.

Larson had a fast qualifying round Friday at the speedway, but he’s only starting fifth to Newman’s seventh. The cagey Newman will close that gap in no time.

Standings: Keefer (67-68-2, $9,757), Bern (67-62-1, $9,446), Brewer (60-72-3, $3,515)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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