Phil Agius
NASCAR is popular with sports bettors, who can place bets on the auto racing series almost all year, with the season starting in February and running through to November. In this educational betting guide, we’ll be explaining where you can legally bet on NASCAR races, looking at the variety of betting markets that are available for each event and the best way to approach them, plus some strategies and tips to help you bet better on NASCAR.
Where Is NASCAR betting legal?
Sports betting in the USA has come a long way since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. That ruling enabled states to decide whether to legalize sports betting or not. Plenty of states have been taking advantage and several more are in the process of doing so.
As of August 2022, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington D.C. and West Virginia have all legalized online sports betting.
Numerous other states have legal sports betting, but only in person. Several states, most recently Massachusetts and Maryland, have just legalized sports betting and will have online sports betting available in the coming months. Most other states have at the very least introduced bills to get the process started, so it’s likely only a matter of a couple of years before the rest of the states have legalized betting on NASCAR events.
As of August 2022, The following states all have a legal and regulated sports betting industry, where you can wager on NASCAR:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
How to bet on NASCAR
Betting on NASCAR is one of the most popular wagering options for fans of motorsports. With such a massive following in the United States, and multiple races happening at multiple tracks across the country.
Betting sites will set their NASCAR odds based on a driver’s current form, including their track record at a certain race track or similar tracks. Other odds influences include how a specific team has been running, and how well a driver qualifies for the specific event.
The best way to bet on a NASCAR event is to look at a driver’s stats at a specific track before betting. Pickswise’s NASCAR experts follow all of the action and news leading up to race day to make the most informed and well-researched NASCAR picks. During race week and particularly during qualifying you can pick up on key details for how the race may pan out, and our experts use this research among other factors to find the best value NASCAR picks for each weekend’s race. We put in the time for you so be sure to check out our NASCAR predictions all season long.
Check out Pickswise’s NASCAR picks for every race
What are the different series within NASCAR?
There are a number of smaller developmental series in NASCAR, but the top 3 series are the Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR’s rising stars are first molded in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Formed in 1995, this series features a 36-car field and is home to some of the developmental or feeder teams for the Xfinity and Cup teams. Top teams include Kyle Busch Motorsports and Thorsport Racing.
After the Trucks Series, comes the real proving ground, the NASCAR Xfinity Seriesm, where tomorrow’s stars are made. The Xfinity Series has been a mainstay in NASCAR since the 1980s and features a 40-car field. Joe Gibbs Racing, Kaulig Racing and JR Motorsports are some of the many teams featured in this series, as they prepare drivers to make the jump to the top level of the sport.
The top level of NASCAR is the Cup Series. This has been the pinnacle of the sport since 1949. The field size can vary from 37-40 cars depending on the race. This series features championship-winning teams aplenty including Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske and Richard Childress Racing among many others. It also features a 36-race schedule.
Ways to bet on NASCAR races
There are many ways you make a wager in NASCAR, whether it is on a single event’s race winner, or the top 5 or top 10 finishers in the race. Others will take a shot at who will win the Series Championship at season’s end.
Odds are offered for each of the NASCAR series, so that gives you plenty of chances to play on a given weekend. Odds usually come out a few days prior to the event. Check out the most popular NASCAR betting markets below.
Money line – to win the race
Easily the most common and simplest way to bet on a NASCAR race is to take an outright winner of the race. You can pick which driver you think will finish 1st. The money line odds are based primarily on a driver’s current form and history at a specific track. The numbers won’t stay at the starting line, as many drivers’ odds will move due to fans picking that specific driver and their pace in practice. Race winner odds are displayed as a long list of each driver name with an odds value assigned to each of them.
Podium finish betting
Another popular bet for a NASCAR race is whether or not a driver will finish on the podium by being one of the first 3 drivers to finish the race. This is a good choice for someone who isn’t sure on taking the winner outright, or when you like the chances of a driver who has big odds. This will pay out as long as the driver chosen finishes in one of the top 3 positions. The odds will be shorter than that of a win bet, but the risk is far lower. This is a good bet for beginners.
Matchup betting
Head-to-head or matchup betting pits just 2 drivers against each other. Bettors will be able to choose which one of the drivers they think will finish higher than the other, and where they come in the overall race does not matter — 2nd beats 4th and 17th beats 23rd and so on. Each driver will have an odds value assigned based on current and past success along with their starting position for the race, it could be a straight pick ’em with both drivers at -110 odds, or one drivers could be favored to win the match at say, -140 odds with the other on offer at plus-money.
Group betting
This category is for those who want to try their hand at picking which team will win the race. This can be easily described as Which NASCAR team will win the race, and bettors can take eg any of the Hendrick Motorsports cars to win with a single bet.
Futures bets
Futures Betting in NASCAR is usually at the beginning of the season, before any races start. The biggest Futures bet is for who will win the Series Championship. Those odds will start out high at the beginning of the season, and are updated throughout the season. The odds will adjust tor records and events throughout the season, and will drop down to only drivers who qualify for each stage of the playoffs, until it is down to the final 4 for the season finale race.
Top position betting
Even if you think a certain driver should go well in a race, you might not feel confident enough to think that they will win the race outright. In that event, you can bet on if they will finish inside the top 3, top 5 or even the top 10 instead. Those bets have a shorter odds than an outright winner, but there’s less risk due to the large range of possible finishing positions. For example, a driver might be +300 odds for a top-3 finish, +110 for a top-5 finish and -240 for a top-10 finish.
Other props
There are a number of other possible prop bets on NASCAR bets worth considering, including winning manufacturer, car number of race winner, any driver to win both Stage 1 and Stage 2 and which driver will be the top finisher for the car they drive.
Five ways to bet better on NASCAR
Know the tracks
Don’t just start betting on a NASCAR race and take one of the favorites because they won’t always win. There are a number of different types of tracks in the 36-race schedule, including tracks that are less than a mile, 1.5-mile tracks, 2-mile tracks and superspeedways, along with road courses. Certain drivers excel on different tracks and struggle on others. Just because a certain driver has looked strong on a 1.5-mile track doesn’t mean he will be good on a 2-mile track such as Michigan International Speedway. Find out what track types suit your favorite drivers before placing a bet.
Stats don’t lie
Stats are your best friend when it comes to NASCAR. Like any sport, statistics are always worth looking at. There are plenty of stats and records available when betting on NASCAR. While betting on a hunch or going with your gut might work sometimes, trusting the stats tends to be a smarter approach. To put together a good run of winning bets, you have to take drivers that are strong statistically at a certain track. Particularly when it comes to the smaller tracks such as Darlington, drivers who have proved they can handle the nuances of the circuit are worth following.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Teamwork is a key factor in NASCAR, as much as it is in any ball sport. A pit crew and spotter are just as important as the driver himself. The crew chief might be the second most important person on the team. If the pit strategy doesn’t work out, then the driver doesn’t have much more he can do. If a driver has difficulties with his or her team, then the morale of the whole team can easily affect the outcome of races. Not just that, in NASCAR most drivers have 2 or 3 other teammates on the race track. Those teammates can also help a driver who is in the thick of the playoff battle. Teammates and teamwork is a key to racing at superspeedways such as Daytona and Talladega, as the draft plays a big role in who wins. This is something to think about when choosing which driver or team to bet on race day.
Watch the weather
You are probably asking how weather can affect the outcome of a race, but it happens all the time. A hotter track tends to lead to a slick racing surface and can make the cars a lot tougher to control. A cool race track means more grip. The cooler temperatures can also affect the air getting to the engine, which is why you can see teams putting tape on the grill of the car at some tracks. What you need to know about as a bettor is how the conditions might affect the driver you are placing your bet on. NASCAR is certainly a sport that works better in certain conditions, and there are drivers who tend to perform better in particular scenarios.
Expert NASCAR betting strategies
Basic
Always plan ahead when betting on NASCAR or any other sport for that matter. Don’t burn all your money on the first go. Play it safe and strategically. If you are new at this start with a basic strategy of going for a top-10 or a top-5 finish, don’t just jump on the big money line for the race winner. That doesn’t always work out especially if you take the favorite as a number of things could easily take that driver out of contention quickly.
Don’t pick your drivers without knowing as much as you can about the race. It pays off if you know the schedule ahead of time. Look a week or so ahead of time, so you know for sure, who is in what car, especially when betting on a Truck or Xfinity Series race, as some Cup drivers from time-to-time will be racing in the lower series.
Intermediate
It is smart to check track trends throughout the season, especially when NASCAR makes a return to a track they have already visited earlier in the season. The 1.5-mile tracks usually play out the same way. Short tracks will have a lot of beating and banging, so sometimes it is smarter to avoid the heavy favorites. Always be sure to check if it is going to be a hot day when NASCAR visits Las Vegas, as that track is always slick.
There are a vast number of different sites that offer NASCAR odds. If you are comfortable with a certain site, then go with that site, but don’t be scared to shop the odds a bit. Compare the different sites. Sometimes odds may be very different. Some sites may offer more prop bets than others too.
Advanced
A key factor to keep in mind is the different types of pit strategies teams will use on race day. Whether they take 2 tires or 4 tires at a stop can make or break a driver’s day. Sometimes taking fuel only may pay off. Just because a driver is on a certain strategy doesn’t mean it will always work out, as cautions always present themselves throughout the race.
It is also smart to remember the trends of the different races. Late race cautions always have drivers and their crews on their feet. When picking drivers for a race, look for drivers that have a strong history at a specific track. A driver’s average finish is also a helpful indicator for what drivers to take each week.
Things to avoid when betting on NASCAR
There can be a number of different things to avoid when betting on NASCAR. That includes certain drivers to avoid, especially if they struggle at a specific track or type of track for that matter. Don’t always take the favorite to win. Not every driver is perfect so, always picking the favorite isn’t a smart move and the nature of NASCAR racing with an abundance of race-changing cautions, means it is much more open than most other racing series.
Track type can be a big contributor in determining which drivers to pick each week. Don’t take the same driver to win every week. Pick the one that is right for the race in question. On the flip side, it’s best not to take longshots at the more predictable tracks,such as Michigan, Bristol or Darlington. The same drivers will typically dominate those tracks. Kyle Busch and his brother Kurt have been strong bets at Bristol throughout their careers, for example. At Darlington Raceway the winner is usually one of the top drivers of the sport. It’s one of the sport’s toughest tracks, hence its nickname the Track Too Tough To Tame.
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