How to Bet on NASCAR Online
Bet on NASCAR Online
On the surface betting on NASCAR looks confusing. The season is long, and all of the tracks have their unique characteristics, making them all different to race. There are dozens of teams, you can lose a race but still gain points, and then there is a multiple-week playoff.
But those looks are deceiving. The reality is that not only is NASCAR betting enjoyable, but it’s also easy to learn and master.
What else would you expect from a sport that has its roots in bootlegging during the years of prohibition and the fast cars that were built to keep the transported whiskey out of the hands of the law. And then the love of fast cars never went away, even as prohibition did.
Since 1948 the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing has been around, and the popularity of NASCAR betting has never been higher than today.
NASCAR Season Structure
It’s a little backward in that the NASCAR season begins with its most significant event of the year, the Daytona 500. But the rest of the season does have a similar structure to other North American sports, with weekly races building up to the postseason and the eventual winner of the Cup Series.
Beginning at Daytona, where NASCAR was founded, and racing royalty is crowned, the Cup Series commences a season of 36 races, ending with the Championship Playoffs in November. And to get in the playoffs is simple. Win one of the first 26 races, and you’re in. The rest of the spots in the playoffs are determined by points accumulated throughout the season.
Each round of the playoffs is three races (races 27, 28, and 29), with the bottom four drivers eliminated in each round. That means that by race 30, we’re down to 12 drivers battling for the Cup, eight drivers by race 33, and just four drivers in the single-race championship round to close out the year.
Aside from the Cup Series, which is the biggest and most competitive division in NASCAR, there is also the smaller Xfinity Series and Truck Series that you can place wagers on.
Types of NASCAR Bets
Even before the racing begins on the weekend, you can place a mid-week wager on the pole position winner. It’s a simple bet. On an open track with no other drivers, which car will have the fastest lap?
Pick that right, and you win the first bet of the week.
This is also an extremely simple bet to place, cheer for, and know if you’ve won. You’re betting on which car will cross the finish line first. Each driver is given specific odds for taking the checkered flag, and if your driver takes it, you win.
The very best drivers in NASCAR win less than 20% of the time, so picking the winner can be quite challenging. But since you’re wagering on odds, oftentimes, the payout can be quite large.
If you don’t want to bet on the entire field, no problem. Most sportsbooks offer bets on head-to-head matchups between two drivers, with odds given for each driver. Instead of having to worry about where your driver of choice finishes as compared to the entire field, the only thing that matters is how he does against a single driver.
Not every driver will match up on these bets. Typically the matchups are chosen because of some particular storyline, which might be race-related or where they are in the standings or something that has happened off the track.
NASCAR does offer a few proposition bets, and the most popular of these is a bet on which driver will record the fastest lap during the race. This should not be confused with a pole position bet, which is on the fastest lap during qualifications.
The fastest lap bet, as a traditional proposition bet, is completely separate from the winner of the race. The fastest lap winner can do terribly in the rest of the race, and you still win your bet.
Other NASCAR Proposition Betting
Live Betting on NASCAR
As with other sports, live betting on NASCAR has become popular in enjoying a sports betting Sunday.
With upwards of 40 drivers and hundreds of miles to race, pit stops, and cautions, you can imagine all of the ways that odds can change over the course of a NASCAR event. There is no shortage of possible bets and then new bets. There are buyout options at every turn (literally) and numerous ways in which you can hedge against your pre-race bets.
After the race has begun, the dozens of available bets are also a perfect way to make up for seeing your pre-race choice spin out and crash into the wall on lap 15.
NASCAR Betting Strategies
It’s obviously essential to know the drivers and their strengths and weaknesses. But unlike most sports, with the exception being golf, with NASCAR, you must also research the venue. All football fields are 100 yards. Every track that NASCAR races at is different.
Some are restrictor-plate tracks like Daytona and Talladega, with their 2.5 miles in length. There are flat tracks like Martinsville, steep tracks like Bristol, intermediate tracks like Charlotte, and road courses like Watkins Glen.
You must know the details of the track being raced and which drivers excel on that type of surface.
Along with knowing the drivers and tracks, understand the stakes. If someone is on the edge of playoff qualification, that matters. If another driver is returning home, that can have an impact. As the stakes change, so does performance.
It’s also essential when placing your bets to find the mix between too many bets and not enough. With so many drivers and so many variables, don’t bet on a single driver. Your day may end really early.
But don’t bet on too many drivers either, because chances are you’re spreading yourself too thin. Only wager on drivers you’ve researched thoroughly. If you’re placing wagers on 10 to 15 drivers, you’re probably placing bets that you shouldn’t.
Finally, think about the team. NASCAR is interesting in that it is an individual driver, but with an entire team behind him. A less experienced driver can be worth a bet when the rest of the team is good. A strong driver might be less worthy of your attention if the rest of his team is struggling.
Where to Bet on NASCAR
Cup Series betting is standard at all online and mobile sports betting apps. But if you want to bet on the Xfinity and Truck Series races, you’ll have to look around. Some sportsbooks treat auto racing as a lesser sport. Other sportsbooks ensure that their customers who love to wager on all NASCAR racing can easily find those wagers.
Once you find which sportsbooks offer the most NASCAR bets, compare them to see which sportsbook offers the most favorable odds. They also may have NASCAR specials and odds boosters, and other ways for you to maximize your betting dollar. Be vigilant in your search.
This search should also include the bonuses that all sportsbooks now offer. You may be given a risk-free bet for up to $500. Make sure the odds requirements on placing that bonus bet aren’t in conflict with the drivers and odds you like to play.
New customer deposit match bonuses can be up to $1,000. But if you’re only wagering once a week on NASCAR, and less than $100 a week, you’re never going to activate that bonus in your account.
First, identify who you are as a bettor. Then allow for you to change as you become more experienced. Finally, find the sportsbook that best fits who you are and who you might become.
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