Johnson Cashes In
Jimmie Johnson made a lot of bettors happy on Sunday when he won his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship. He also made a lot of them angry.
At the beginning of the 2008 Sprint Cup Season, Johnson was a 7/2 favorite according to oddsmakers at online sports books SBG Global and Sportsbook.com. Bettors who were able to get Johnson at that number enjoyed a $7 payout for every $2 wagered.
Everybody Bets NASCAR at Sportsbook.com
While you might say that is nothing to complain about, try telling that to bettors who laid a stake on early season runaway Kyle Busch. Busch, who had an incredible first half of the 2008 Sprint Cup Season, opened as a 22/1 favorite to win the 2008 Sprint Cup.
As Busch laid down his blistering pace, wagers for him to win it all began to stream in. Busch’s odds began to slowly drop from 11/1 and then 8/1 as he began to pick up steam, then 4/1 as he started to consistently dominate the field.
He did all of this while Jimmie Johnson was struggling, not looking like the two-time defending Champion he has come to be. By the halfway point of the 2008 season, Busch was not even worth betting anymore, as his odds were so short. Many (myself included) thought Busch was a virtual lock to win his first Sprint Cup Title in 2008.
Fast forward to September 14, 2008 – New Hampshire. Busch entered the first race of the Chase for The Sprint Cup with a 40-point lead over Jimmie Johnson, but then all hell broke loose. He had poor finishes not only at Loudon but also the next three weeks at Dover, Kansas and Talladega.
By then it was too late.
When Busch finally did get it turned around at Lowe’s, Johnson was long gone and bettors were scratching their heads asking themselves what happened.
All is not lost though, however, as bettors cleaned up on Busch’s eight victories in 2008, but in the end he had the last laugh by cleaning up on Busch’s failure.
Kyle Busch and his supporters are going to have to wait until at least next year for a Sprint Cup Title and big payday.
Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson and bettors who backed him in 2008 are laughing all the way to the bank.
Bet on The 2009 Sprint Cup Championship at SBG Global
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Posted: 11/17/08 5:10 PM ET
