Dale Earnhardt Jr. is favored to win the battle but Tony Stewart is favored to win the war when the NASCAR Nextel Cup season roars out of the garage with the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida, Sunday.
The Greek Sportsbook has posted odds on both the Daytona 500, the premier event in stock car racing - where Earnhardt was made the +415 favorite (bet $100 to win $415) - as well as the 2006 Nextel Cup Championship, the season-long, 36-race marathon where Stewart is the +500 choice.
There also are 20 head-to-head matchups pitting drivers against one another in victories and Nextel Cup points, as well as a series of intriguing propositions, including one that asks the bettor to choose the driver with the most wins this season. What's more, the Greek has prices on which of a half-dozen highly regarded newcomers will capture Rookie of the Year honors.
The myriad of wagering options offered by
The Greek Sportsbook reflects the burgeoning power of NASCAR, which has blossomed from a regional (and to some extent, ridiculed) sport to an international betting phenomenon.
Although NASCAR pioneer Bill France designed the sport so "the cars were the stars," personalities such as Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt quickly eclipsed the expensive machines, so much so that today wagering is conducted on drivers, not automobiles.
With that in mind, let's look at who are, arguably, the top dozen drivers in the game:
Tony Stewart (Chevy): The defending Nextel Cup champion still is fiery on and off the track. Stewart won five races last year and with his entire team returning, including crew chief Greg Zipadelli, is the man to beat for the championship again this season.
Jimmie Johnson (Chevy): Johnson faded to fifth last season after back-to-back runner-up finishes the previous two years and there is concern that crew chief Chad Knaus' problem with meeting NASCAR's technical car requirements could be a season-long distraction.
Carl Edwards (Ford): A menacing third in his first full season on the circuit last year, Edwards figures to improve but still must show he can handle what every driver experiences from time to time: adversity.
Jeff Gordon (Chevy): The defending Daytona 500 champion and a four-time NASCAR champion tied for the third most victories on the circuit last year but finished 11th in the standings, mostly because of four crashes that were not his doings. More consistency (he had just eight top five finishes in 2005) and better luck could put him at the top of the heap again.
Greg Biffle (Ford): Won a season-high six races last year and finished second to Stewart, overall, an outcome that could have been reversed with better performances in Texas.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Chevy): Finished 19th in the standings and won just one race but the return of crew chief Tony Eury could signal a change in fortunes for "Little E."
Ryan Newman (Dodge): The retirement of Rusty Wallace could mean that Newman, who finished sixth in the standings a year ago, will benefit at a Penske-South squad where personalities clashed last year.
Matt Kenseth (Ford): The 2003 Nextel Cup champion received a long-term contract from Rousch. Twenty-second in the standings at the midway point of last season, Kenseth mounted a determined charge to finish seventh.
Jamie McMurray (Ford): Joins loaded Jack Rousch stable of Fords after finishing sixth in a Dodge last season. With a better car and a better crew a breakthrough season could be at hand.
Mark Martin (Ford): Motivation might be the key here. Martin wanted to retire last year but was talked into campaigning for one more season. Replaces Kurt Busch (below).
Kurt Busch (Dodge): The 2004 champion replaces Rusty Wallace in the Miller Dodge. Teaming with the stubborn Newman could be a challenge.
Kyle Busch (Chevy): Won two races last year and now joins the Hendrick Motors team of Gordon and Johnson. Many think he has more talent than his brother.
THE BASKETBALL DIARIES: The NBA takes a break from the regular season for its annual all-star game in Houston, Sunday but bettors won't have the weekend off. In fact,
The Greek Sportsbook has posted prices on all the Saturday auxiliary events - the Skills Challenge, the Three-Point Shootout, the Shooting Stars Contest and the Rising Stars Slam Dunk - that usually are far more entertaining than the no-defense all-star game.
Phoenix guard and reigning NBA MVP Steve Nash is the man to beat in the Skills Challenge while Seattle sharpshooter Ray Allen is the favorite in the long-range shooting competition.
Acknowledging the popularity of the three-point competition,
The Greek Sportsbook also has seven propositions on this event, including which player will have the most points after round one.
Los Angeles is the betting favorite to win the Shooting Stars drill while Atlanta's Josh Smith is the top choice to capture the Slam Dunk competition.
