How to Bet on NASCAR in 2025 – NASCAR Betting Guide

The National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR) wagering is the most popular form of motorsport gambling available to bettors.

When consulting a NASCAR betting guide, consider the sport's unique betting factors, bet types, strategies, and, of course, the season's schedule – NASCAR runs from late February into early November, offering action for most of the year.

Gamblers and fans love that NASCAR offers competitive races and the betting factors that come with such parity.

Understanding NASCAR Betting

When first learning how to bet on NASCAR, gamblers quickly discover noticeable differences compared to betting on other sports.

Most of the betting revolves around individual drivers. Tracks offer different distances and configurations that play into each driver's strengths and weaknesses.

The regular season runs from February through August. Following the regular season, a playoff schedule runs from September to November.

NASCAR offers the combination of parity and a variety of tracks that no other sport can offer.

What Makes NASCAR Betting Unique

NASCAR drivers compete individually within teams.

The types of tracks can’t be underestimated when handicapping a race. Some drivers love the rubbing and banging of short tracks, while others prefer intermediate tracks that are roughly 1.5 miles, or road courses, which can break otherwise strong drivers. Then there are the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega that almost always have major multi-car wrecks and the need for a drafting partner.

Also, it is notable that pole position is not as important in NASCAR as in other forms of motorsports betting.

Types of NASCAR Bets

NASCAR betting options include the race winner, the Top 3, Top 5, or Top 10 finishes, head-to-head matchups, group betting, props betting, futures betting, and live betting.

Compared to Formula One and IndyCar, NASCAR is much more unpredictable and boasts greater parity, which means that the betting options can offer greater value.

Race Winner

Betting on the race winner is the simplest form of NASCAR betting and the easiest to understand for those learning how to bet on NASCAR races. All you need to do is correctly pick the winner.

If Kyle Larson is a +400 favorite to win the race, the gambler bets $100 to win $400.

Top 3/Top 5/Top 10 Finish

Another simple NASCAR bet type is betting on the driver to finish in the Top 3, Top 5, or Top 10. Just like betting on the race winner, gamblers will take odds on the driver or drivers of their choice.

This is a terrific way to learn how to bet on NASCAR races while giving yourself more margin for error.

NASCAR Head-to-Head Matchups

One of the most popular ways to learn how to bet on NASCAR is by betting on head-to-head matchups.

Gamblers can choose from different matchups of individual drivers and then bet on which driver in the matchup will have the highest finish.

Group Betting

Group betting is similar to head-to-head matchups except that you'll bet on more than two drivers.

In most cases, NASCAR group betting will offer four individual drivers per group. Gamblers then bet on which driver in the group will have the best finish.

NASCAR Prop Bets

Prop betting in NASCAR is easy and offers plenty of unique options that can be turned into a science, depending on which prop bet you prefer.

Options include what manufacturer will win the race, whether an odd or even car number will win, whether a driver will win multiple stages, over/under bets on cautions, and more.

Futures Betting

Futures betting is a fantastic way to learn how to bet on NASCAR races; place just one wager and enjoy action for the entire season.

For example, you can bet future odds on what driver will win the regular season or NASCAR Cup championships, over/unders on wins for a season, and much more.

Live NASCAR Betting

Sports bettors demand live betting as an option for every major event on the board, and NASCAR is no exception. You can get continuous odds during each lap.

Gamblers love live betting options, especially when drivers come to the pit, leads change, and there is a caution flag – all of which factor into continually changing live betting odds.

NASCAR Betting Strategies

There are plenty of strategies to learn in any NASCAR betting guide. Factors such as teams, tracks, current form, and driver momentum (good or bad) all come into play when handicapping a race.

Certain teams have significant advantages in equipment, personnel, and other resources.

Tracks are critically important, as teams and drivers may show well at some tracks but fail at others.

Using Track History in NASCAR Betting

Past driver and team performances at individual tracks are perhaps the best handicapping guide for trends.

It is important to understand that driver track trends are not the sole factor in determining a bet, but they can be quite helpful.

For example, William Byron has had strong performances at superspeedway tracks in recent years, while Joey Logano has struggled. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are short track aces, but Ricky Stenhouse is not.

Track history is a reasonable way to help plan when you learn how to bet on NASCAR races.

Reading NASCAR Qualifying and Practice Results

Many serious NASCAR gamblers like to observe qualifying and practice results before making a final decision on wagers for a race.

While these factors can be a guide, they can also be overrated as a tool; unlike F1 or IndyCar, qualifying is not as important in NASCAR. In fact, good drivers routinely start at or near the back only to end up as winners. Only NASCAR can consistently offer this potential.

Further, a driver can win the pole position but be sent to the back of the field on race day for a rules or equipment violation.

Gamblers should also keep an eye on lap times, tire wear, and team setup changes, but not get too influenced by them.