How to Bet on NASCAR

NASCAR Betting

📖NASCAR Betting How-to
📈Popular NASCAR Bets
💡Best NASCAR betting tips
💡More about Online Betting

A marathon of a season running almost year-round, NASCAR presents betting opportunities in almost every month on the calendar. Diehard fans will obviously be keen to get involved in NASCAR race betting. Others, though, will know they can engage with NASCAR at times when their favorite sport is in its offseason.

Betting on NASCAR will be straightforward if you’ve wagered on other motorsports. The markets are generally similar, and you’re going to have a general understanding of what factors are important.

But if you’re new to the world of NASCAR race gambling, then let’s take a look at our comprehensive NASCAR betting guide.

How Sports Betting Works in NASCAR

The NASCAR cup series has so many variables. Wagering on the race winner is obviously the foundation of NASCAR betting, but bettors have plenty of other options to consider. Unlike the NFL, NBA, or Formula One, NASCAR is unpredictable from race to race. A driver being favored to win a race is no guarantee that they will have success on the track, and this opens up plenty of high-value wagers for every race.

Understanding betting on NASCAR in 2024 requires a fundamental understanding of the sport and how to interpret odds. Markets will be recognizable if you have wagered on motorsports in the past. Many of the niche NASCAR markets are self-explanatory, and you can always check the sportsbook’s terms and conditions if you need clarification.

Interest in NASCAR online betting has increased with the legalization of sports gambling across the USA. Rules for gambling on NASCAR will vary slightly between states, however, so it is worth checking the regulations in your area.

Detailed Explanation of the NASCAR Season

The number listed in the name of each race corresponds to the number of total miles that will be driven during the race (400, 500, 600). Beginning with the Daytona 500 in February, the NASCAR season runs all the way until the Monster Energy Cup Playoffs in the fall. The season has a total of 38 races which take place between about 8 months. In these 38 races, there are 4 marquee races (coloquially named the Grand Slam) consisting of the Daytona 500, the Talladega Geico 500, the Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 (also the longest race of the circuit), and the Darlington Bojangles 500.

It's important to pay close attention to the schedule as it is common for tracks to be used multiple times throughout a race season. Being up to date on the schedule can help you spot value bets on drivers who perform better in certain locations/tracks.

Betting on the NASCAR season is particularly tricky due to the fact that the biggest race of the year is also the season opener in the Daytona 500. By the time the Daytona 500 rolls around in February, spectators have only had a short glimpse of this season's drivers in a couple of early exhibition matches. Getting a feel for driver form for the first race of the season is extremely difficult and often opens bettors up for error as they're forced to go off of last season's performances.

Understanding Playoff Structure and Points System in NASCAR

A race season consists of 38 races. During the season, drivers accumulate points based on several criteria: winning races, qualifying positions, laps led, and top 10 finishes. Of course, every driver would like to win every race but there are behind-the-scenes strategies that bettors should take into account before placing a NASCAR bet.

For example, since points help drivers secure playoff positions, drivers might prioritize finishing in a top position over outright race wins as they get closer to the playoff qualification deadline. After a set of three races, drivers who haven't been performing in a top spot in terms of points are eliminated from that season's playoffs.

Understanding NASCAR Betting Odds

Placing a NASCAR bet on NASCAR races consists of finding the race and browsing the available markets for that specific race. For outright betting, you will see odds listed next to each driver's name such as:

Driver	Odds
Kyle Busch	+200
Christopher Bell	+350
Kyle Larson	+500
Alex Bowman	+550

In this example, Kyle Busch has outright odds of +200 meaning a $100 bet would payout at $200 if Busch wins the race. You could also bet on a top 5 finish which will typically have lower odds. For the sake of example, let's say a top 5 finish bet for this NASCAR event has odds of -150 for Busch. in this example, if Busch were to make the top 5, you would need to stake $150 in order to win $100.

Popular NASCAR Bets

Bettors are spoilt for choice when it comes to making NASCAR bets. The markets available are varied, and will inevitably change a bit between different sportsbooks.

Of course, there are some staples you will find wherever you are looking for NASCAR odds, prop bets and race winners remain the most popular bet types but as you will find, there are a plethora of betting options with online sportsbooks. These options will be easily accessible on the NASCAR page where you'll find the following betting markets.

Race Winner

Just as it sounds, the race-winner market is a bet on which driver will win the race. There will be a sizeable range of odds from the favorites through to the backmarkers, but there’s a lot to consider when making your NASCAR race winner picks.

Alternatives include the winning team and winning manufacturer. The top NASCAR betting sites will offer these markets, which can be a good way to compromise if you are unable to find an appealing wager in the standard race winner odds.

Cup Series Championship

Betting on the winner of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship is the most popular option in NASCAR futures betting. This is a season-long wager, with drivers receiving points depending on their finishing positions in each race.

The higher a driver finishes, the more points they receive. While the allocation of points has been altered throughout the history of NASCAR, this is a very easy wager to follow. Look out for trends to help you find outright value – nine drivers have won three or more Cup Series Championships.

Top Three Finisher

Podiums might not be commonplace in NASCAR like in other motorsports, but you can still wager on a driver to finish in the top three. If you aren’t confident in a driver to win the race, you can bet on them to finish first, second, or third.

For example, a bet on Roger Penske to finish in the top three would have shorter odds than betting on him to win the race. You would win the wager even if Penske was narrowly beaten to the win at the line or he was miles behind in third.

Top Five Finisher

An alternative to a top-three bet is betting on a driver to finish in the top five. Of course, the premise is the same, but this can be a good option if you’re backing an outsider for a surprisingly impressive finish.

Lap Leaders

Lap leader bets are usually about which driver will lead the most laps. Some sportsbooks will also allow you to bet on which driver will be leading at the end of certain laps.

There’s plenty of data out there to look into when trying to decide on your lap leader bets.

Head-to-Head

H2H matchups are a good way to reduce risk by betting on if a NASCAR driver will finish ahead of another. H2H bets are unique in racing and lets you choose the race matchup you want to see.

For example, you can take a driver who is typically better at superspeedways like Kyle Busch to finish ahead of a a driver who typically performs better on an oval track like Bowyer. You won't have to worry about betting on Busch to win the race outright, as long as he finishes ahead of Bowyer, you've won your H2H bet.

Where Can you Bet on NASCAR?

NASCAR betting markets are available with top sportsbooks including FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, and BetRivers where they operate. In general, you will find NASCAR bets online in the following states:

Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Virginia
Vermont
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wyoming

Best NASCAR Betting Tips

There are three main factors to consider before you bet on NASCAR online: driver performance, car performance, and the track. Considering these factors for your NASCAR betting strategies will help you get a better view of the upcoming race.

Even the best drivers will be unable to win races if their car isn’t up to scratch. Drivers have different strengths and weaknesses, meaning they will be quicker at certain tracks. Each manufacturer and each team will also have strengths and weaknesses that could put them at an advantage or disadvantage on certain tracks.

One way to evaluate tracks is to identify the similar venues raced at during a NASCAR season. Changes from one year to the next can mean that looking at past years isn’t helpful. Instead, you can see how a driver/team performed at a similar track earlier in the season. The most informed NASCAR bets take into account current driver form and track-specific performances before race day. Knowing how each driver performs historically on road courses or ovals or super speedways can go a long way to helping you find that winning ticket.

Driver form and track record are worth researching before placing your NASCAR bets. We would also consider looking at their history in racing to discover which tracks they are most comfortable with. Some will thrive on road circuits; others will much prefer the ovals. We would recommend using Driver Averages to learn as much as possible about each driver before race weekend.

There’s a huge amount of data out there on NASCAR. Make full use of it and conduct comprehensive research before committing to any NASCAR betting online.

As ever, bettors should always learn how to bet by managing their bankroll carefully, and compare odds to make sure they are getting the best value on each bet.

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