Betting NASCAR Futures

Betting NASCAR futures can be a whole season of fun and excitement.

• Betting NASCAR futures can be very profitable as odds are favorable.
• There are a number of different categories in which NASCAR bettors can find opportunity.

The NASCAR schedule begins in February each year and runs through the season’s end in November. Watching NASCAR races can be thrilling enough, and there is a lot of opportunity to bet on them as well.

HANDICAPPING TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR BETTING ON NASCAR

With the rise of sports betting in the U.S., bettors can take advantage of more NASCAR betting markets and more racing options. Here’s a look at how to bet on NASCAR futures.

The most common NASCAR futures bet is to wager on the overall winner of an individual race. There are 26 races in a NASCAR season. Winning all 26 is nearly impossible and even the best drivers rarely win more than a handful of races in a given season.

While it’s a bit difficult to pick the winner of each race, keep in mind that even favorites will be listed in the +500 to +900 range. Those are favorable odds.

With some research, you may find a driver that does well on a certain track or has a strong history of finishing well in a certain race. A $100 bet at top NASCAR betting sites on a race winner at +600 pays out a nice $600.

Another category where NASCAR bettors can find value is in driver matchups. Two racers are paired together and bettors wager on the one they believe will finish higher. 

The bet has nothing to do with the overall winner of the race. If you have Racer A at -120 and Racer B at +130, it only matters which driver finishes ahead of the other. 

If you bet $120 on Racer A to beat Racer B and A finished 15th and B came in 28th, your bet is a winner and pays out $100.

One of the more popular NASCAR wagers is the group bet. Drivers are placed in groups and bettors will wager on the one they believe will finish first among the group. Again, the bet has nothing to do with winning the race.

Take the following example with a group of popular drivers.

Joey Logano +300

Kevin Harvick +275

Denny Hamlin +255

Kyle Busch +225

Just like driver matchups, you are betting on the driver that finishes ahead of the rest of the group. If you bet $100 on Kevin Harvick and he finishes fifth while the rest of the group finishes 10th or worse, you win $275.

Also popular among NASCAR bettors are prop bets like Top-3 or Top-5 finish. They are some of the betting basics of NASCAR. Bettors are simply wagering on a particular driver to finish in the top-3 or top-5 of a race. 

If Hamlin is given +350 odds to finish in the top-3 and he finishes first, second, or third, a $100 bet would pay out $350.

Drivers who earn the pole position in a race only win that race about 22 percent of the time. They do, however, have a better chance of finishing in the top-3 or top-5.

This brief introduction should get you well on your way to betting NASCAR futures. Have fun and win more bets!