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How to Bet on NASCAR – NASCAR Betting Guide & Betting Strategies
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Who’s up for a road trip to Indianapolis next May, towing a camper behind us? Let’s go to the Indianapolis 500! While we’re at it, let’s make sure to sign up for Caesars to partake in some NASCAR betting while we’re there.
WAIT…. Betting on NASCAR?
Yes, books even have markets available for NASCAR betting. More than 3 million people watch NASCAR every single year and there are plenty of bets to be made!
But don’t worry, we’re here to walk you through how to bet on NASCAR.
Breaking Down NASCAR
Rules of NASCAR
NASCAR is a race between a varying amount of drivers on an oval-rounded race track. Races range from 200 to 500 laps to complete and this all depends on how long the race track is.
Because there are around 40 drivers, races must be separated into three stages to keep track of rankings:
- One
- Two
- Final
At the end of each stage, there is a break. Stages typically consist of 60 laps.
NASCAR Betting
NASCAR betting is MUCH different from other types of betting, so pay close attention to this part.
First and foremost, NASCAR betting is all about betting on the driver who will win. There is no moneyline, there is no spread and there is no over/under. When you think about it, it makes sense. However, this is still a large change from what the norm for betting is and can take some time to adjust.
Reading NASCAR Betting Lines
In NASCAR, the favorites — like the underdogs — will always have a (+) designating them as a favorite. This is directly opposite of everything we have ever been taught in betting, so make sure you understand.
The odds system still works the same though. Bet $100 on a +350 line to win $350. NASCAR odds work like this because of the large number of unknowns in the sport. Tires can pop off, crashes can happen, pit crews can be a bit off that day, etc. Even though someone is a favorite, they will always be at plus-money because of the number of factors at play.
NASCAR Futures Betting
This is the big one when it comes to NASCAR betting. This is about who is going to win the NASCAR Cup at the end of the season. Don’t get this confused with weekly betting. While there are MANY races every season with winners, that is going to go under the category of weekly betting since the races happen weekly.
Think of the weekly races as regular-season NFL games and the NASCAR Cup as the Super Bowl. Take a look at this FanDuel screenshot below that shows odds for the 2022 NASCAR Cup:
Betting on futures early in the season can give you opportunities to hedge your bets later and guarantee profit. Waiting to lock in futures bets can be wise as well.
NASCAR Outright Winner Picks & Place Betting
You can also bet on who is going to win each race from week to week. This would be very similar to betting on golf or another tournament format. You bet on the winner of this week’s race and collect your money at the end of the race.
This can still be very difficult to do because, as we said above, races are so volatile and events outside of anyone’s control can happen and derail a front-runner. If that sounds too risky for you, don’t worry! There’s another option.
Books know there is a lot of risk in betting an outright winner on NASCAR so they will also provide place markets. This is placing a bet on a driver to finish in a certain range. Generally, the range is 1-3 or 1-5.
Head-to-Head NASCAR Bets
Drivers are always competing against every single driver. However, for the purposes of the books, they will create markets pitting drivers against each other. In order to win this bet, your driver just has to place high than their opponent.
This is a very popular option to bet on because of the higher chances of winning along with it being easier to follow. Everyone may not easily be able to keep track of who is in what place in the race, but they can definitely know if their person is beating the market opponent!
NASCAR Manufacturer Odds
Yes, you can bet on the make of the car that is going to win the race. Will it be a Chevy, Toyota or Ford that wins the NASCAR Cup? You can bet on this.
Books With NASCAR Betting Markets
| Sportsbook Name | States Legal | Sign-Up Bonus |
|---|---|---|
 | AZ, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MD, CO, VA, NJ, NC, NY, TN, WV, WA, DC, & NV | First Bet Insurance of Up to $1,250 |
 | AZ, CO, DC, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV & WY | First Bet Insurance of Up to $1,000 |
 | AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, NY, PA & VA | $250 Bet Match* |
 | CT, NJ, & PA | $250 Bet Match* |
 | AZ, IN, IA, NJ, PA & VA | First Bet Insurance of Up to $250 |
 | AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV & WY | Deposit Match of Up to $1,000 |
 | AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV & WY | First Bet Insurance of Up to $1,000 |
 | CO, IL, IN, IA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, VA & WV | First Bet Insurance of Up to $2,000 |
All The Books
As is our mantra at OddsJam: “More books = more money!” Make sure you are signing up for ALL of these books above, we have even made it easy for you and put direct links to their sign-up page.
You need every book available to you so you can shop around for the best lines. Now that you have your NASCAR betting game plan, get out there and make some wagers!