NASCAR Betting in the US: How to Bet on NASCAR Races

Do you love NASCAR and want to get further involved in it with betting? If so, our handy guide is the ideal place to start. It’s crucial to understand NASCAR sports betting before diving in, and this article tells you all you need to know. 

By the time we’re done, you’ll be ready to gamble on top races (such as the Daytona 500 or Coca-Cola 600) and all the best NASCAR championships. 

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Discover how NASCAR betting works in the US.
• Find out which states you can bet on NASCAR from.
• Take notes from our top strategies for NASCAR betting.

Navigating Around NASCAR Betting in the US 

NASCAR has long been a popular part of the sporting landscape in the US and is one of the most high-octane motorsports around. Following the US Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to strike down PASPA, it’s now also something that lots of sports fans in the country like to place bets on via online sportsbooks/apps.

However, the US Supreme Court gave individual states the license to legalize betting for things such as NASCAR betting online. This means that you can only legally bet on races over the internet in certain states.

States where online sports betting is legal — and by extension where golf betting is legal include: 

✔️ Colorado
✔️ Connecticut
✔️ Delaware
✔️ Florida
✔️ Illinois
✔️ Indiana
✔️ Iowa
✔️ Kansas
✔️ Kentucky
✔️ Louisiana
✔️ Maine
✔️ Maryland
✔️ Massachusetts
✔️ Michigan
✔️ Montana
✔️ Nevada
✔️ New Hampshire
✔️ New Jersey
✔️ New York
✔️ North Carolina
✔️ Ohio
✔️ Oregon
✔️ Pennsylvania
✔️ Rhode Island
✔️ Tennessee
✔️ Vermont
✔️ Virginia
✔️ Washington
✔️ Washington, D.C.
✔️ West Virginia
✔️ Wisconsin
✔️ Wyoming

How Can I Bet on NASCAR? 

So you’ve decided that you want to get involved with NASCAR sports betting, but how do you go about it? 

Personally, I started off as a fan and then got into placing bets on races to add even more interest to them. Once the state I live in opened up to legal sports wagering, I found a licensed betting app to use and read up on what NASCAR betting involved. This gave me the confidence to start placing bets. 

Understanding NASCAR Betting Odds 

Getting a grip on how NASCAR odds work is essential for a few reasons. Firstly, understanding odds in NASCAR means that you know the potential payout that any bet might return. Odds can also indicate how likely something is to happen and can help when selecting wagers.

The good news is that reading odds for online betting NASCAR is pretty simple!

Moneyline odds are the most common, and I like these for their directness. They usually come with a + symbol in front of them and are available on various markets.

Example: Moneyline odds when betting on NASCAR online for the ‘Race Winner’ market:

• Kyle Larson +250
• Chase Elliott +350
• Tyler Reddick +400
• Denny Hamlin +450 

The odds above show that:

• If you bet $100 on Kyle Larson to come first, and he does, you would win $250 back.
• If you back Tyler Reddick instead, and he’s victorious, you would win $350.

It can also be worth looking into how to wager on the NASCAR betting spread. This sort of bet focuses on the margin of victory for your chosen driver or team.

Selecting a NASCAR Betting Site 

Although many elements go into NASCAR race betting, selecting where to bet is critical. The most crucial thing to do is sign up with a NASCAR betting site that’s fully licensed to operate. This keeps you away from scam sites and provides a better user experience. 

Other key criteria to think about while selecting a sportsbook include: 

• Range of markets
• Competitive odds
• Excellent customer support
• Mobile betting
• Range of secure payment options
• Easy-to-use interface
• Good bonus offers for new and existing users

After finding the right betting site, you need to create an account. This is basic, and I, personally, find that all the best sportsbooks make their sign-up process a breeze.

Placing Your Bets 

If you’re looking to find out how to bet on NASCAR in the US, digging into placing bets is the next step. Choosing the bet you want to make depends on which market you find most interesting and which you understand best. Some punters will also look at which betting markets give the best-value odds. 

To place a bet on a NASCAR betting platform, find the race and market you wish to get involved with. Click on the odds shown to open up your betting slip, adjust your stake, and click to confirm the wager.

Most Popular Types of NASCAR Bets

We love NASCAR betting for its varied markets. The main ones to know about are outlined below. 

Outright Winner 

The outright winner market involves predicting which driver will win the race. If you plan to place this sort of wager, it’s worth looking at teams or drivers who usually do well at certain tracks/events.

Podium Finish Bets

It’s also possible to place bets on which drivers will finish on the podium in NASCAR. The most common markets include Top 3 Finish and Top 5 Finish. 

Group Betting

NASCAR group betting sees drivers split into groups for a race and punters placing bets on which will finish in the highest final position in their group. It’s most common to see drivers split into groups of four in this market.

Head-to-Head Bets 

NASCAR betting is so popular because of the sheer variety it offers – I, personally, find head-to-head markets one of the best. This involves betting that one driver will finish ahead of another driver in the race. You win if this happens – even if your driver finished 10^th, but the other driver finished 15^th. 

Futures 

Futures markets in NASCAR work pretty much how they sound. Future bets involve betting on an event that’s coming up in the future, such as who will win the NASCAR Cup series when the season has only just started.

Prop Bets 

Also known as proposition bets, this market involves betting on certain events happening in a race. Some examples of prop bets include betting on:

• A set number of crashes that will happen.
• Which of the youngest NASCAR drivers in 2024 might finish highest in a race.
• How many caution flags might be seen in a race. 

Understanding the Different NASCAR Series 

NASCAR is made up of different series. The series differ in terms of which vehicles are used in them and other key criteria.  

But which are the top NASCAR series to know about? 

NASCAR Cup Series

This is widely regarded as the top NASCAR series and was founded in 1949. The NASCAR Cup Series is determined by a points system, and drivers get points for where they finish in a race or how many laps they lead. 

This series has 26 regular-season races, which normally take place on a Sunday. After these races are finished, a regular season champion is crowned and the top 16 drivers (including the regular season champion) enter the playoffs.

Four drivers are eliminated in each playoff race until four remain. These drivers then battle it out to be crowned Cup Series champion.

Popular races in this series include ‘crown jewels’ such as the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Brickyard 400. The Southern 500 is another famous event and is often held on Labor Day.

Top tracks for NASCAR Cup series betting include:

• The Daytona International Speedway
• Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Darlington Raceway

Fact: The Daytona International Speedway is one of the most prestigious tracks and is the season-opening event.

NASCAR Xfinity Series 

Although it might look a lot like the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series is its beast. The cars used in each series differ, for instance, with the Mustangs and Camaros in the Xfinity series having a bit less horsepower and a different gearbox.

Race rules are also a little different in the Xfinity Series, with a three-round chase format used and events held on Saturdays. 

Aside from this, the series is very similar to the Cup Series. Races are held on the same weekend and it has a 26-race regular season. Once this is finished, a regular season champion is confirmed, and 12 drivers advance into the playoffs. 

As Xfinity Series races are normally held over the same weekend as Cup Series races, the same tracks are popular across both championships.

Popular Xfinity races include:

• The Pennzoil 250
• The Tennessee Lottery 250

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 

The Craftsman Truck Series in NASCAR differs from the Cup and Xfinity series in terms of the vehicles that compete in it. Drivers get behind the wheel of pickup trucks here, with Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet being popular manufacturers.

The Craftsman series also has a lighter schedule than the Cup or Xfinity series and races on Friday evenings. This sees 23 regular season races usually and a regular season champion is confirmed after this. 

Fact: Among the regular season action, the Triple Truck Challenge is popular with bettors and also gives Craftsman competitors the chance to earn extra money during the season.

After the regular season is over, 10 drivers go through to the playoffs and battle it out to be the series champion. Although this series involves different vehicles and runs on a different schedule, many Cup and Xfinity series drivers choose to compete in it.

Top tracks for Craftsman series racing include:

• The Talladega Super Speedway
• Pocono Raceway
• Bristol Motor Speedway

Major NASCAR Races to Bet On

We have already mentioned the different NASCAR series above, but which are the best races to bet on? Let’s find out!

Daytona 500

Held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida over 500 miles, this is arguably the biggest race in NASCAR history. The Daytona 500 was first run in 1959 and opens the regular season each year.

The Daytona 500 also has some great betting opportunities to make the most of each season. This includes many markets to bet on and some great-value odds to grab. As it is the first game of the season, bets for outright winners and futures are very popular.

It’s also a race that has seen the following drivers win in two consecutive years: 

• Richard Petty (1973 and 1974)
• Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984)
• Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)
• Denny Hamlin (2019 and 2020)

Coca-Cola 600

Also known as the Coke 600, this famous NASCAR race is held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. It’s run over 600 miles, and has been going since 1960. 

This is another iconic race in the NASCAR calendar each year that generates lots of excitement and draws a massive audience. For bettors, it’s a race that is easy to find at online sportsbooks and one in which live betting can prove useful. 

Fact: Darrell Waltrip has won this event most and came home first in 1978, 1979, 1985, 1988, and 1989. 

Brickyard 400 

First held in 1994, this event is run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. The race takes place over 400 miles and draws its moniker from the nickname of the Indianapolis track it runs at. This is another NASCAR contest that draws massive crowds – it’s estimated that 250,000 people turned up for the inaugural race! 

Betting on the Brickyard 400 is popular for the opportunities it offers. This is both in terms of the varied markets and dedicated bonus offers that some sportsbooks run for it. 

Fun traditions to look out for in this event include the Hauler Parade that opens race weekend. This sees the team transporters parade through the town of Speedway and competitors taking time to interact with fans.

NASCAR Betting Strategies I Live By 

To stand a chance of potential success with NASCAR betting, it’s wise to utilize the best NASCAR betting tips and strategies. So what are these strategies that I live by? I’ve listed them for you below. 

Research your bets

The online NASCAR betting strategy that I find most useful is taking the time to properly research bets. This helps you decide if a bet is worth taking on and if the odds being offered are value for money. Top factors to look at when doing this include analyzing the form of drivers competing and looking at previous race winners.

Think about weather conditions 

Another strategy I employ for NASCAR online betting is checking out the race conditions and understanding what impact they could have.

If rain is forecast for race weekend, you would be wise to focus on drivers who perform best in these conditions. It may also open up certain prop bets, such as predicting that the weather will cause more crashes. 

Track down race tips and predictions

Finding out how to bet on NASCAR can mean getting a little help with tracking down the best predictions. I find that this can save a lot of time overall and help you find NASCAR picks that you might otherwise have missed.

Just remember to only get predictions from reliable sources, and still do your research into them before putting any money down. 

Look out for NASCAR betting bonuses

Making the most of a top NASCAR betting bonus is a fantastic strategy to consider using. This is because the best bonuses can bring extra funds to wager with and help you get more from gambling on the biggest races.

Live NASCAR Betting 

Lots of people ask me, ‘Can you live bet NASCAR?’ The answer is yes.

I love live betting and think that it can add real excitement to placing bets on NASCAR races. It also gives bettors true flexibility in terms of how they bet on the sport.  

In simple terms, it involves placing bets when races have already started. This is different from pre-race betting, which sees you putting your cash down before an engine has even been fired up. 

NASCAR live betting is something that the best NASCAR betting sites, top sportsbooks and apps offer to users. Live betting also comes with some unique benefits that make it worth knowing about. 

To start with, live NASCAR betting allows you to see how a race is panning out before placing any bets. This enables punters to see which drivers seem in form once the action starts and react to how changing weather conditions might impact who does best.

NASCAR Betting Forum 

Betting forums are places where sports bettors come together online to chat, swap tips, and discuss strategies. Most will be dedicated to specific sports, and this means that tracking down vibrant NASCAR betting forums is a smart move.

By registering with forums like this, you can enhance your knowledge of NASCAR betting and get advice from more experienced punters. Moreover, you can discover new markets to bet on from other forum members and pick up on fresh betting strategies to try out. 

Joining these kinds of forums also helps to make betting on NASCAR more social. It’s easy to make new friends online on these sites and chat with people who are as into betting on the sport as you are!

Once you have joined this kind of online community, you need to engage with it effectively. I find that one of the best ways to do this is simply getting involved with online forum conversations and posting questions of your own.

I also think that remembering to engage with people respectfully goes a long way to getting the most from NASCAR forums.

So, Are You Ready for Some NASCAR Betting Tonight? 

If you’re planning to bet on NASCAR in the US but didn’t quite know how, our handy NASCAR betting guide should be valuable. It provides a comprehensive overview of how NASCAR betting works and information that is easy to include in your daily betting routine.

Do you want to know even more about sports betting in the US and how to get more from it? Visit our Betting 101 page that can guide you every step of the way. 

NASCAR Betting FAQs

What are the best betting options available for NASCAR?

NASCAR betting offers various options, including bets on the race winner, the starting position, and whether a driver will finish in the top positions. Additionally, sportsbooks offer NASCAR futures bets, which I consider the best choice for a first NASCAR bet.

Where can I find the best NASCAR sportsbooks?

Find the best online sportsbook sites to bet on NASCAR here on TrustnBet. To list a few, you can register at DraftKings, bet365 or BetMGM. These platforms provide a wide range of bet types and competitive odds for NASCAR wagering.

Can I bet on my favorite driver in NASCAR race cars?

Yes, you can bet on your favorite driver in NASCAR. Many sportsbooks allow you to wager on specific drivers, including their finishing position, head-to-head matchups, and even prop bets related to their performance during the race.