As a journalist covering NASCAR, it’s evident the sport has gained in popularity over the last several years and it’s appealing to a younger demographic. The grandstands reflect it on a weekly basis with a much younger audience filling the seats.
One of the main reasons is betting. The younger crowd has become drawn into the sport now that they can bet on it. There’s more on the line than just cheering for their favorite driver.
Being fully transparent, I’ve never been one to easily part with my money, especially in the form of gambling. However, due to this growing interest in NASCAR wagering, I figured it was time to learn a little bit about it. And I’m glad I did. I called on the experts at Win The Race and they are fantastic when it comes to explaining the basics of NASCAR betting. It’s NASCAR Betting for Dummies like me.
Types of NASCAR Bets
For starters, there’s a large range of bets NASCAR fans can choose from.
Outright Bet to Win, Finish Top 3, Finish Top 5
The most common wager that even the novices are familiar with is a bet to win. Placing money on a specific driver to win, or finish inside the Top 3 or Top 5.
Group Bet
As the name sounds, this type of bet is where you can wager on a group of four or six drivers and which one of the drivers is going to finish the highest.
Head-to-Head Bet
This bet is on two drivers and which one finishes the highest.
Manufacturer Bets
This bet is on which manufacturer is going to win the race.
Understanding the Odds
American Odds
American odds feature a three- or four-digit number, like +150 or -150 and they are based on $100. In this example, the odds of +150 means the bettor who places a $100 bet would win $150. Conversely, on the -150 odds, it means the better would have to spend $150 to win $100. The easiest way to remember American odds is (+) plus odds are what happens if you bet $100 and negative (-) odds are what happens to win $100.
Fractional Odds
Fractional odds are also common in betting, like 15/1, which would be the same as +1500. These types of odds can be helpful when talking about long shots like 100/1.
Choosing Your Sports Book
According to the Greg Matherne, betting expert at Win the Race, you should diversify your betting and create accounts at all the possible sports books available to you in your state because the odds are going to vary, and sometimes wildly. For example, one book might have a driver at +800 while another book might have that same driver at +1200. If you fail to bet at the book with the +1200 odds and the driver wins, you’ve just lost out on $400.