NASCAR bets

With NASCAR running a number of series throughout the year, one covering 36 races over ten months, there are ample betting opportunities for you to get into. There are also 19 teams each with four cars and their own drivers meaning there’s a lot to place bets on. Add to this the three separate stages of a NASCAR race, each with 60 laps, qualifiers, and so on, and you’ve got a huge set of options.

With this in mind, there are a huge number of popular NASCAR bets available. There are many of the usual options on offer such as driver matchups. Future bets are another popular option, based on things that might happen later in the series. Other options include prop bets where you will be able to place a wager on very specific scenarios that occur within the race. These can include events like:

• How many caution laps in a race
• Which manufacturer will win?
• Number of crashes

NASCAR Race Today

NASCAR Odds

Due to the wide variety of bets available in NASCAR, you’ll find that the odds are variable as well. Sports betting sites will try and offer the best odds out there so it’s important to check these before settling on a specific bet type. We always take a look at the bets across sports betting sites too, only recommending the very best US betting sites for you to join.

As a general rule though, NASCAR odds are very similar to those of other sports such as NFL futures. The favorite driver or team is always going to have lower odds than a team that’s not so favored. These will payout well when there’s a victory, but not as well as if an underdog wins. However, even highly favored teams have high odds in NASCAR betting which makes it more exciting.

NASCAR Betting Lines

When you’re online betting on NASCAR, the new odds will tend to come out on Mondays for that weekend’s race. These will shift regularly so it’s important to keep checking in. The initial betting lines posted may actually get changed almost instantly, and then get changed again mid-week when the teams run their practice laps. During the qualifiers, the odds close so choose your bets before this time.

• Odds and betting lines change during the week
• Snap up a good set of odds when you see them come up
• Keep checking in on your favorite site as the odds released can change
• The latest odds can affect the decision you make when placing your NASCAR bet so pick carefully

As these odds change so rapidly, it can be important at the start of the week to grab the odds that appeal to you. You may not get better odds later on in the week. However, the odds will change depending on the performance of the teams or drivers mid-week. Odds will continue to really change during the qualifying laps and this will continue right to the moment the race is about to start.

NASCAR Betting markets

With the odds always fluctuating, the type of bet you make is also very important. You can start off easy, taking the more common route and choose to place a bet on the race winner or on the top three finishers in a race. There’s also the option to pursue driver matchups, pitting two drivers against each other betting on who will have the highest place at the end of the race.

We’ve mentioned prop bets, and there are also plenty of options to choose from here that don’t involve picking a driver to win. Rather you select the position you think the driver will end up in. Props also include a range of different scenarios you think will unfold. Other options predict the series as a whole, like which driver will get the most points in a series, throughout the entire year, or in the season.

Understanding the odds

To fully be successful in NASCAR betting, it’s also important that you actually understand the odds. These are displayed in the usual format that you’ll see for other sports. NASCAR race odds actually always look like futures. Favorites are posted high, paying out big if the bet comes true. For instance, you might see that Denny Hamlin has odds of +600 to be the winner, with a $100 bet, this will give you a $600 profit.

Over/unders

NASCAR bets also come as over/under bets. For instance, you might place a bet that a driver such as Chase Elliott will be placed. The odds might look like this – Over 8.5 place +110 or under 8.5 Place -130. What this means is that if you bet $100 that Elliott will place 8 or lower, you will get $110 in profit. Betting the reverse needs a bet of $130 to win $100.

• Head-to-head bets are also an option and have the same format as over/under bets
• Parlays are more tricky to play

Final thoughts

As with most sports betting, understanding what the bets mean and how they will payout is key to success. NASCAR betting is a lot of fun, however, particularly as the betting lines are liable to change even at the last minute. On top of that, there’s a ton of things to bet on too, with most sportsbooks offering a wide range of options and top odds for maximum fun!