How Does NASCAR Betting Work?
NASCAR is a fast-paced car racing sport that provides many betting opportunities. While many sports only require gamblers to bet on two teams, a given NASCAR race has 40 different drivers. Therefore, NASCAR can be a challenging sport to bet on. A few of the most popular betting options in NASCAR include winning outright, pole position, fastest lap time, and podium finish.
Winning Outright
The most popular type of betting in NASCAR is winning outright. A winning outright bet is a wager on who is expected to win the race. If a player chooses the correct winning driver, they win the bet. Although this bet may seem straightforward, it can often be difficult to win because there are more than 40 different drivers to choose from. Since the payout odds are usually lucrative for each driver, gamblers often bet on more than one in hopes of winning.
Pole Position
Unlike the others, a pole position bet does not focus on the race itself. Instead, gamblers predict who will win the pole position in the race based on the qualifying session beforehand. During qualifying, each driver races on an empty track to see who can achieve the fastest time. The driver that achieves the fastest qualifying time is awarded the pole position, or the inside position of the front row, to begin the race. If a player correctly bets on the driver with the fastest qualifying time, they win the bet.
Fastest Lap Time
Like the winning outright bet, the fastest lap time bet is also fairly straightforward. For this bet, players pick which driver they believe will achieve the fastest lap time in a given race. This lap can be completed by any driver at any point throughout the race. Regardless of who wins the race, if the gambler correctly picks the driver with the single quickest lap time, they win the bet.
Podium Finish
A podium finish bet is great for a gambler who is confident in the best drivers in the race, but is unsure which will win outright. For this type of bet, players pick a driver that they believe will finish the race in the top three. Therefore, the bet has a better chance of winning than an outright winning bet because the driver can finish in either first, second, or third place. No matter where the driver finishes in the top three spots, the player will still earn the same amount of money. However, a podium finish bet won’t pay as high as an outright win bet because it is less challenging to pick.
Driver Matchup
For a driver matchup bet, two drivers are paired up, and the gambler predicts who they believe will finish the race first. Regardless of where the two drivers finish in relation to the rest of the competitors, if the gambler correctly selects the faster driver out of the two, they win the bet. In some cases, the two drivers are matched up evenly, but in other cases, one driver may be more talented than the other, and the payout odds will be altered to reflect the discrepancy.
NASCAR Betting Strategy
Although the main types of bets in NASCAR are similar to those in other sports, there are a few elements of strategy specific to NASCAR.
Remembering these tips can help you be a more successful NASCAR gambler:
- Bet on multiple different drivers to increase your chances of a bet paying off.
- Consult historical performances of drivers on the same track to make predictions about upcoming races.
- Pay attention to teammates. Cooperation, competition, and other dynamics within a team can affect the results of a race.
- Have an understanding of playoff points and the playoff structure before placing bets on the playoffs.
FAQ
What are the best NASCAR betting websites?
A few of the best NASCAR betting websites include Bovada Sports, BetOnline Sports, and SportsBetting. Bovada offers users a bonus of 50% up to $250, while the other two sites offer a 50% bonus up to $1,000. The most important aspect of all of these websites is that they provide a safe and secure environment to place bets. They also have established reliable reputations, are fairly easy to use, and provide several different banking options.
Where can I legally bet on NASCAR online?
In the United States, there are several states where people can legally bet on NASCAR online, including Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Nevada, and Colorado. Currently, the online sports betting apps that offer NASCAR betting include DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, Unibet, and William Hill Sportsbook. In addition to these states, a few states allow retail-only NASCAR betting. These states are Arkansas, Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, and New York.
What are prop bets in NASCAR?
A proposition bet is when a gambler predicts that a specific event will occur in a NASCAR race. Since many different things can happen during a race, prop bets can widely vary. These types of bets can be categorized as either skilled or unskilled. An example of a skilled bet may be on the driver who will lead the most laps during the race. Prop bets are more frequently offered during the main races each year.
What is a futures bet in NASCAR?
A futures bet in NASCAR is when a gambler attempts to predict a future event in the season. One popular futures bet is on who will win the Cup Series Drivers’ Championship. Other futures bets can be made on who is predicted to make the playoffs, lead in driver points, or advance in the playoffs. Generally, these types of bets are made before the season begins or right before the playoffs start.