How to bet NASCAR

NASCAR racing is currently the fastest growing spectator sport in the world. A NASCAR Nextel Cup event can draw over 200,000 NASCAR fans for a single race. With NASCAR’s explosion in popularity more people are looking for ways they can make money on NASCAR racing.

Many people are finding there is money to be made in placing NASCAR wagers. Betting on NASCAR can be extremely lucrative if you know what you are doing. If you would like to know how to bet on NASCAR, the types of wagers you can place on a NASCAR race are explained below.

There are several options for wagering on NASCAR and other motor sports:

Odds to WIN the race wager:

The NASCAR wager odds to win  is the most common wager made on a NASCAR race.  In this wager the player is selecting the driver to WIN the race and is paid with a money line proposition.  For example:  a $100 odds to win wager on Jeff Gordon to WIN +800 means risking $100 to WIN $800.  The break-even point of this wager is 11.1% meaning if Gordon would win 1 out of nine times in this spot, the gambler would break even. 

Never underestimate the power of odds, as one needs only to exceed to the break-even point of any NASCAR odds to win wager to make money.  Even with a heavy favorite (say +400) one must ask himself, "does this driver win this race one out of 5 times or better?"  If so, there is value.

Race/Qualifying matchup bets:

A NASCAR betting matchup wager is a wager on one driver vs. one opposing driver for the finishing order of a single race.  The results are based on the "official results" posted on NASCAR.com website and scored by NASCAR officials.  These are money line wagers, but do not require the driver wagered on to Win or place in any particular position.

Example 1:  Kasey Kahne -130 vs. Matt Kenseth +120

In this example a $100 bet on Kasey Kahne would require risking $130 to Win $100.  If Kahne finishes better than Kenseth the wager WINS!  If Kenseth finishes the race in the 23rd spot, Kahne, must only finish 22nd or higher to cash the ticket.

Likewise a $100 wager on the underdog (Kenseth)  would require risking $100 to WIN $120.  If Kenseth finishes higher than Kahne the Wager WINS!

Top finishing Ford/Chevy/Dodge driver (pod betting):

The NASCAR wager top finishing driver by manufacturer allows one to "shorten" the WIN odds and competition, by offering lucrative odds vs. a smaller group of competition.  See the chart below:

In this race a wager on the highest finishing Dodge would pay back the prices above.  Let’s say we like Kasey Kahne +450.  A $100 wager on Kasey Kahne would pay back $450, and Kahne must finish higher than ALL of the other drivers listed in this box in order to win the wager.  This wager presents value very often as most sports books accept only action on drivers to Win a race or match-up propositions.  This gives the gambler a chance to eliminate 35 or 36 other drivers, and still get a nice money line payoff.

Manufacturer to Win the race bet:

The NASCAR wager Manufacturer to win the race is another odds to win style NASCAR wager where you will have money line odds to bet on which manufacturer Ford, Chevy, or Dodge will finish first in a particular race according to the official results posted on the NASCAR.com website? When considering this type of wager make sure you take into account some manufacturers do better at certain tracks/races for obvious reasons.  Example, the Chevy teams have dominated Daytona, Talladega, and the road course races recently.  Coincidence? No.  These teams focus on the restrictor plate races (Daytona/Talladega) and have the best road course drivers in the sport (Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, etc).  This wager can present value several times in the 36 race season.

5)  Manufacturer Exacta wagering:

This is a NASCAR wager on the Manufacturer (Ford/Chevy/Dodge) that will have cars finishing 1st and 2nd (exactly in that order) in a race.  Like the above explanation, this prop presents value a few times per season as certain teams are better on certain tracks.  See the chart below:

In the above chart we will place 2 wagers for the example:

Wager #1:  Chevy/Chevy +200:  The gambler is risking $100 to Win $200 on this wager.  A Chevy driver must WIN and another Chevy driver must also finish 2nd to WIN the bet!

Wager #2: Dodge/Chevy +800:  The gambler is risking $100 to WIin $800 on this wager and must have a Dodge driver WIN the race, and a Chevy driver finish 2nd to win this bet!

Additional Information:

For more information on nascar betting or how to bet NASCAR consult the SpreadExperts.com for your NASCAR betting analysis, handicapping picks. Or feel free to contact us if you have any questions about betting on nascar.