NASCAR, or the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, is a popular auto racing organization in the US. It started with the moonshine runners competing in North Carolina, and now it attracts a huge crowd. To bet on NASCAR, you need to understand the basics of odds, lines, and racing. Through this article, I am going to tell you about how to bet on NASCAR.
What is NASCAR?
NASCAR was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1935 and officially established in 1948. Today it has a hierarchical structure:
- Cup series(top)
- Xfinity Series(second)
- Truck series(third)
- Smaller series (below)
You can bet on NASCAR racing in person or online.
How to read NASCAR odds.
NASCAR betting offers three main options: future betting, outright sportsbook bets, and head-to-head bets. Future bets include betting on the driver winning the NASCAR Cup championship. Outright sportsbook bets need you to choose the winner of a specific race, while head-to-head bets include you picking the driver who will be higher in the race. Unlike other North American sports, NASCAR only focuses on selecting the winning driver, without the option to bet on moneyline, point spread, or over/under bets.
In NASCAR betting, the favorite’s odds are typically marked with a plus sign (+), unlike other sports where a minus sign (-) denotes the favorites. This means that if the favorite has a plus sign, such as +150, a $100 bet would give you a $250 payout, earning a $150 profit. Likewise, if you had a minus sign, like -150, then you need to bet $150 to win $250, earning a $100 profit.
Types of NASCAR Bets
- NASCAR Race Winner
- NASCAR Futures Betting
- Pole Position
- Fastest Lap of the Race
- Podium Finish
- Head-to-Head Bets
- Live/In-Play NASCAR Betting
NASCAR race winner betting
Bet on a driver to win each week or opt for a safer bet on a driver to finish in the top three, five, or any other ranges. Winning a race is tough due to accidents, mechanical issues, and pit road problems, which is why favorites often have odds of +250 (5/2) or higher; other drivers might offer 500+ (5/1) or more. For example, Kyle Laron might be +200 to win, while the top five could still finish by -150.
Future betting
Bet on the driver who will win the NASCAR Cup at the end of the season. Future bets can offer better value than weekly bets because of the season’s unpredictability. Odds may change less during the season, but the bigger swings happen during the playoffs. You can hedge your bets for profit. For example, bet on Kyle Busch at +300 and later on Martin Truex Jr. at +400 if they both make the finals. You have two chances of winning.
Pole Position
Pole position is similar to NASCAR race-winner betting. Instead of betting on the driver who finishes the crossline first, you are betting on the driver who secures the top spot in the qualifying. During qualifying sessions, each driver takes empty tracks to record the fastest lap time, determining their starting position. For the main event. By betting on the pole, you are predicting which driver will achieve the quickest time and earn the coveted number-one starting point.
Fastest Lap of the Race
The fastest lap of the race bet means the bet that is placed by predicting which driver will achieve the fastest single lap time during the race. It doesn’t matter where they finish in the overall standing. The driver can finish last, but if they log the fastest lap time at any point during the race, you win the bet.
Podium Finish
A podium finish is a type of bet where the bettors bet on the drivers who may not be favored to win but have a strong chance of finishing in the top 3. By betting on a driver to finish on the podium, you are predicting that they will be placed in either the first, second, or third position of the race. By choosing a podium finish to bet on, the flexibility of the chance of winning increases.
Head-to-Head Bets
Head-to-head betting is a betting option in NASCAR where the sportsbook matches two drivers against each other and you have to choose which one will finish higher in the race. This type of bet typically offers lower odds compared to future bets. And it also contains favorites and underdogs. For example:
Driver A (favorite): -180
Driver B (underdog): +140
In this scenario, you need to bet $180 on driver A, who is the favorite to win $100, while you only have to bet $100 on driver B to win $140 if he finishes higher.
Live/In-Play NASCAR Betting
The live or in-play NASCAR betting allows you to place bets on all the above-mentioned bets while the race is underway.
How to bet on NASCAR (step-by-step instructions)
Step 1: To place your bet, login to your Sportsbook account. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to sign up first. Visit the sportsbook website, and look for the “Join” option located at the top-right corner of the page.
Step 2: Click the “Join Now” button and complete the registration form by providing your personal details, including your name, email address, date of birth, and country of residence.
Step 3: After successfully signing up, now it’s time to deposit the funds. Go to the cashier section and make your first deposit. The sportsbook offers several payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, cryptocurrencies, and more. You could also get welcome bonuses and first deposit bonuses.
Step 4: After adding the deposit, head back to the homepage of the sportsbook, and you can find NASCAR from the options. It will show you all the upcoming races and bets, and you can choose the suitable one for you.
Step 5: Now it is finally time to place the bet. Decide the market and the odds that you want to bet on, then add them to your bet slip. Decide the betting amount as the final process, and that’s it. Simple as that, you have placed a bet.
Conclusion
Now you know what a NASCAR bet is, how to read the odds of NASCAR, the different types of bets that could be placed, along how to place them. So go ahead and place the bet that is suitable for you in terms of entertainment and also beneficial.
