NASCAR Betting Guide 2023 | How to Bet on NASCAR

NASCAR Betting Strategy, Data, and Tips for betting on NASCAR Races

In this guide, we’re going to drive you through everything you need to know to successfully bet real money on NASCAR online. We’ll talk about where and how to bet, showcase the best betting tools on the market, break down expert strategy and tips, and share some killer data on the motorsports scene.

If you’re ready to get out of the pits and get onto the track as a NASCAR betting expert—buckle up, lock in your steering wheel, and get ready to hit the gas and become a profitable online NASCAR sports bettor.

There are very few sports in the entire world that can compare with the speed, energy, and turbocharged action that NASCAR brings to the table. Whether it’s the last-second passes, the metal-twisting crashes, or the expert strategy—it’s a fan favorite for millions of people all around the world.

What on earth could make NASCAR more exciting? Online sports betting. With the help of real-money NASCAR betting apps, you can now add a new element of excitement to every race of the season. But what’s even more fun than betting on NASCAR online? Winning!

Contents of Our 2023 NASCAR Betting Guide

• Types of NASCAR Bets With Expert Strategy
• NASCAR Betting Tools and Resources
• Expert NASCAR Betting Tips
• NASCAR Cup Series Track Quick Reference Guide
• NASCAR Betting Picks and Strategies by Track
• Common NASCAR Betting Questions
• Online NASCAR Betting FAQ

NASCAR Betting Strategies

Everyone knows you can bet on the winner of a NASCAR race. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your options. Let’s break down of the different types of NASCAR bets available, along with some expert NASCAR betting tips with each wager type to give you that edge you’re looking for.

To-Win Bets

The simplest NASCAR bet you can make is the to-win bet. This is nothing more than a wager on which driver will win the entire race.

Matchup Bets

NASCAR online sportsbooks offer you the ability to wager on which driver will finish best in the race. With matchup bets, it doesn’t matter how each driver finishes compared to the rest of the field, only in relation to the other driver.

If the matchup driver you choose finishes 42^nd and the other driver finishes 43^rd, you win your bet.

Group Matchup Bets

A bet similar to the NASCAR matchup bet is the group matchup bet. With this wager, you’re given four drivers and have to choose which driver is going to have the highest finish.

Futures Bets

A NASCAR futures bet is a wager on who is going to win the season-long championship. Generally, you’ll see odds offered on the individual driver, teams, and manufacturers.

All you have to do is select who the winner will be, and if you’re right, you win your bet. Futures bets can be made at any point before or during the season. NASCAR betting odds will change, though, based on the likelihood of each driver, team, or manufacturer winning.

Stage Winners

A few years back, NASCAR added stage racing to the mix. You can wager on which drivers you anticipate will win each or at least one of the stages.

Pole Position Bets

The pole position bet is a wager on which driver is going to earn the starting spot for the race. This bet is only available if drivers must qualify for the race.

Fastest Lap Bet

This NASCAR bet is a wager on which driver runs the fastest lap during the race (based on time). It has nothing to do with how the driver finishes the race. If the driver runs the fastest lap on lap 10 and then crashes on lap 11, you’d still win that bet.

Additional Prop Bets

Outside of the aforementioned NASCAR bets, there are additional proposition wagers you can bet on. Some of the more common examples include:

NASCAR Betting Tools and Resources

The cars in NASCAR only survive thanks to the support and hard work of the pit crews. And without the right tools, the pit crews would be helpless in getting their job done. Betting on NASCAR online is the exact same. Without the right tools and resources to make expert NASCAR betting picks, you’d be stuck in the garage.

Here’s a really nice collection of tools and resources you can use to win money betting on NASCAR races:

Statistics and Data Resources

When you bet on major sports like the NFL, NBA, and MLB, there are tons of resources for statistics. In fact, the bigger issue is making sure you don’t get completely overwhelmed by the number of stats out there.

NASCAR is different. It can actually be rather challenging to get your hands on the stats you need. But when you know where to look, it’s a whole heck of a lot easier. Here are some resources for pulling stats like average finish, recent winners, and driver averages.

Expert NASCAR Betting Picks

We hope that by now we’ve demonstrated to you that we actually know what we’re talking about when it comes to how to win money betting on NASCAR. Want to see how our experts are betting online?

The link below will take you to our real-time NASCAR expert betting picks. You can make these bets right alongside our experts or use them to make sure you didn’t miss anything in your calculations.

Best NASCAR Sports Betting Sites

Is knowing who to bet on the only thing you need to win money betting on NASCAR? It’s not. You also need to know where online to bet on NASCAR to get the best lines, and the most value to set yourself up for success.

Below, you’ll find a link to our list of the absolute best and safest online NASCAR betting sites.

NASCAR Betting Tips

Draw Conclusions From Similar Track Styles and Conditions

Trend analysis is an extremely effective way to pick winners and draw meaningful conclusions when betting money on NASCAR online. However, there are a lot of pitfalls that sports bettors fall into where the data trends they draw are incorrect.

Understand Car Setup Packages

NASCAR sets the engine and aerodynamic packages for races that the teams and drivers are mandated to follow. When you’re weighing past results and looking for meaningful trends, take this into account.

Things like downforce can affect how close the drivers run, as well as how easy it is to pass. You should be able to make winning NASCAR bets without getting too deep into the weeds here, but if you want to take things to the next level and maximize your edge—this is a great spot to do it.

In 2019, Kyle Busch had some choice words about the high-drag, high-downforce package at Dover for the GanerRV 400:

“The package sucked. No f***ing question about it. It’s terrible. But all I can do is bitch about it, and it will fall on deaf ears and we’ll come back here with the same thing in the fall.”

Drivers were upset that the additional downforce created additional dirty air making it very hard for cars to pass. These are details that can be helpful when picking out winners.

Know the Strategic Implications of the Race

Early on in the NASCAR season, drivers just want to win races. However, as the regular season closes out and you enter into the playoffs, strategy comes into play.

You have to understand all of the strategic implications for every driver before you make any wagers late in the season or in the playoffs.

It’s Not Just an Individual Sport

While there is only one driver in the victory lane at the end of the race, the politics behind the scene paint a different picture. Each driver is on a team with other drivers owned by the same company. Additionally, there are implications for drivers to consider when they run the same manufacturer as other drivers (Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, etc.).

When making your NASCAR wagers, look at who might be planning on working together and how that might affect the outcome of the race. Social media and driver/owner quotes before a race can be pretty telling.

Additionally, look at past races to see what teams and manufacturers did to get to the front. Chances are high that if it worked, it’ll happen again.

NASCAR Cup Series Track Quick Reference Guide

NASCAR Betting Picks and Strategy by Track

Atlanta Motor Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• It’s been all Fords lately at Atlanta. From 2017-2021, the winner has been a Ford every year (with the exception of Atlanta II where Kurt Busch won). It’s also been an alternating show between Brad Keselowski (winning in 2017 and 2019) and Kevin Harvick (winning in 2018 and 2020). Don’t count these guys out when making your picks.
• Charlotte is another great track to look at for trends at Atlanta. Both courses are 1.5-mile quad-ovals. Go back to 2020 in Charlotte and, again, you see Brad Keselowski up top for one of the races.

Bristol Motor Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Don’t look at past Bristol results when handicapping the dirt races. A better place to look is for drivers that came up in the sport as successful dirt track stars.
• A lot of the younger/newer drivers to the Cup Series are far less removed from their dirt track days. Some guys to look at include Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, and Christopher Bell.
• Skilled drivers always prevail at Bristol as it’s more about maneuvering the field and less about overall speed. If you look at all of the race winners from 2016-2020, every single driver has been a Cup Series Champion (except Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson who darn well should be).
  • 2021- Kyle Larson
  • 2021- Joey Logano
  • 2020 – Kevin Harvick
  • 2020 – Brad Keselowski
  • 2019 – Denny Hamlin
  • 2019 – Kyle Busch
  • 2018 – Kurt Busch
  • 2018 – Kyle Busch
  • 2017 – Kyle Busch
  • 2017 – Jimmie Johnson
  • 2016 – Kevin Harvick

Charlotte Motor Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Often the longest mileage race of the season, it’s a great track to look for drivers with a lot of proven durability and patience.
• Half of the races from 2016-2021 were won by Toyotas. While this doesn’t seem that impressive, when you look at the overall dominance of Chevy and Ford, it’s big news to pay attention to.

Circuit of the Americas Betting Tips and Strategies

• As a fairly new course to the schedule, look for drivers with the ability to learn on the go.
• As with all road courses, look for drivers who crush this style of course (details in the next section)
• Tony Stewart of Stewart-Haas Racing did get to conduct a demo run on the course back in 2019. While this isn’t much, it probably gave the driver a lot of personal insight to start planning for the new course. And if you think for one second he isn’t sharing all of that information with his team, you are Looney Tunes.
• Chase Elliot. Enough said.

Darlington Raceway Betting Tips and Strategies

• The drivers with the highest driver averages at Darlington over the past few years are Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, and Eric Jones.
• Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin have both won here three times. And while he’s not an active full-time driver, if Jimmy Johnson climbs back in a car, he’s also won here three times.
• Darlington is a track where favorites tend to prevail. Be mindful if you’re making multiple to-win bets that you have a path to profitability.

Daytona International Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Even the biggest favorite to win at Daytona every year usually offers odds of +800 or better. (After winning the Daytona 500 two years in a row, Hamlin was only +800). This means you have more room to bet on more drivers if you want to.
• Because of the tumultuous nature of Daytona, this is a fantastic track to put some weight into longshots. Throughout the last few races at the track, we’ve seen wins from names like Justin Haley, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse, and Austin Dillon. For those curious, Austin Dillon was a 30 to 1 favorite when he won in 2018.
• It’s all about the draft. Look for teams and manufacturers looking to work together when crafting your online NASCAR betting strategy.

Dover International Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• You can actually place bets on the race at the Dover track! Too cool not to share.
• The three highest driver averages since 2018 are Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Larson.
• The master at Dover has always been Jimmie Johnson. Again, if he happens to climb back into a car for this race, don’t discount his 11 wins at the track (second place has 3).

Homestead-Miami Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Starting position matters. 7 of the past 8 winners from 2013-2020 started in the top 5.
• This is another track where Toyota does shine. From 2013-2020, 5 of the 8 winners were in Toyotas. Ford has only one win in that time frame at the track.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Betting Tips and Strategies

• Scroll down to our ‘Common Questions‘ section to take a look at the list of the best road course drivers.
• Don’t get fooled by past Indy stats. The course has recently switched to the road course layout, which changes how you bet on NASCAR dramatically.
• Briscoe and Allmendinger are two names that have done well in Xfinity when the road course was run. Be on the lookout for them in the Cup Series here.

Kansas Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Chevrolet has 2 wins at the track from 2017-2021. Toyota has 5 and Ford has 3.
• While Kyle Busch hasn’t won at the track in the Cup Series since 2016, he’s got wins in the truck series, Xfinity series, and the Cup Series. Clearly, he’s not someone to ignore here.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• The track tends to be lower on cautions and lower on congested racing. This means you should be favoring drivers who can run fast in packs or by themselves. A great place to look for this is qualifying and practice speeds.
• Temperatures can vary greatly based on the usual time of year for the Vegas Cup races. When you look at past races, consider the weather when analyzing trends. The average high in March ranges between 49 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Martinsville Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• The top 3 driver averages at Martinsville over the past few years are (in order) Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr.
• Denny Hamlin has 5 wins at Martinsville through 2020; a.k.a, never count him out.
• The flat and narrow turns make for a strong need for skilled driving (especially with braking). There’s a reason the last five winners from 2018-2020 are all past NASCAR Cup Series Champions.

Michigan International Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Two words: Kevin and Harvick. If he’s not a major part of your thought process when making Michigan NASCAR bets (not saying you have to bet on him), you’re making a mistake.

Nashville Superspeedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• The Cup Series is brand new to the Nashville track, but that doesn’t mean current Cup Series drivers haven’t driven it. Look back to the 2001-2011 years when the Xfinity Series ran at the track. You’ll find familiar names like the 2009 winner Joey Logano and two-time winner Kevin Harvick (2006 and 2010).
• As with any newer track, give extra attention to more experienced drivers who are more skilled in adapting and learning in real-time throughout the race.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• New Hampshire is a really unique 1-mile flat track. Honestly, you’re best not comparing it to any other tracks when looking for past performance trends.

Phoenix Raceway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Phoenix is a great track to look into some longshots, as we’ve seen a trend of new winners over the past few years. From 2017-2020, we’ve seen 7 different winners in 8 races. Kyle Busch spoiled that party, so make sure to keep him in mind when betting.
• In what may seem like a direct contrast to the previous comment, Kevin Harvick has 9 wins at the track. However, 8 of those wins came before 2017, so it doesn’t negate the recent trend.

Pocono Raceway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Pocono has developed a bit of a reputation for wild restarts. Pay some extra attention to drivers who are great at getting off the line and navigating some wild driving.
• Keep an eye on the Toyotas. Why? They won 7 of the 9 races from 2017-2021 thanks to Kyle Busch (4 wins), Denny Hamlin (2 wins), and Martin Truex Jr. (1 win).

Richmond Raceway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Toyota? Is that you? In six of the last races from 2018-2021, Toyota has been victorious, thanks to back-to-back wins from Kyle Busch and back-to-back wins from Martin Truex Jr.
• Keep in mind that the usual NASCAR schedule has a night race and a day race. Conditions are wildly different, so take that into account when doing your research.

Road America Betting Tips and Strategies

• This is a newer track in the Cup Series but not new to NASCAR. The Xfinity series has been running here, which means a lot of the newer drivers just making the jump to the Cup Series should be on your radar. Names with wins to note are Austin Cindric, Christopher Bell, Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, and Michael McDowell.

Sonoma Raceway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Please see our list of our favorite/the best road course drivers in the ‘Common NASCAR Questions‘ section below. Pay special attention to one name on that list—Martin Truex Jr. The man has 3 wins at the track and back-to-back victories from 2018-2019.

Talladega Superspeedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• The NASCAR wagering tips for Daytona are all applicable here, so please check those out first.
• Talladega tip number two—get good at holding your breath. This race is wild and can change in an instant with big wrecks.

Texas Motor Speedway Betting Tips and Strategies

• Much like Las Vegas, Texas is a track where the cars can get quite separated at times. Give some additional attention to cars that can run fast by themselves.
• The drivers with the highest driver averages over the past few years are a star-studded list—Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Logano.

Watkins Glen International Betting Tips and Strategies

• Chase. Elliot. End of discussion. In all seriousness, Chase is one of only two recent drivers with more than one recent win at the Glen (the other being Kyle Busch).

NASCAR’s Great American Race: Daytona 500

While Indy Car fans might argue and we can hear some grumblings from Monaco, we’re pretty sold on the fact that the Daytona 500 is the greatest event in all of motorsports. Dubbed the Great American Race and sometimes the Super Bowl of Motorsports, the Daytona 500 is the most well-known race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

The race is around 500 miles and takes 3-4 hours to complete. Typically, it is scheduled on a Sunday in mid-February. The Daytona 500 is the first scored Cup Series race of the year. Technically, that means it’s the first race ‘that counts’ towards the playoff points. However, in the few days leading up to the Daytona 500, there is the Busch Clash as well as the Duel Races. These races include all of your favorite drivers but the first ‘real’ race of the season is the Daytona 500 held on Sunday.

As you can imagine, this makes Daytona the biggest betting event in NASCAR. People have made thousands of dollars wagering on the race in the past. If you’d like to join them in placing a bet, be sure to shop around to find the best Daytona 500 odds at one of the trusted sportsbooks listed here.

Common NASCAR Betting Questions

How Often Does the Pole Winner Actually Win the Race?

God bless data. In 2014, the Department of Economics at UNC-Charlotte conducted an in-depth data study on the importance of the pole position in auto racing and NASCAR. Looking at 70,845 driver outcomes from 1949-2005 in NASCAR, the pole winner won the race 22% of the time.

For online NASCAR wagering purposes, you’ll want to look at each race independently. For example, the last Daytona 500 winner from the pole was all the way back in 2000 (Dale Jarrett).

Additionally, you need to look at how different drivers are able to take advantage of the starting position. For example, in his career, Jeff Gordon won 81 poles and parlayed that into 20 wins from the pole (nearly 25% wins). On the other hand, up until 2018, Kurt Busch had 27 pole positions but has only won from the pole 1 time.

What Are the Different Series Within NASCAR?

NASCAR is broken down into three main series—the truck series, the Xfinity Series, and the Cup Series. Technically, there are several other series that fall under the NASCAR name like ARCA and several international series, but these are the three you should know.

• Truck Series – This is the series where they drive pickup trucks.
• Xfinity Series – This is considered the minor leagues of NASCAR and where a lot of the new Cup drivers come from.
• Cup Series – This is the major leagues and typically what people are talking about when they refer to NASCAR.

What Are NASCAR Teams and Who Is on What Team?

As mentioned earlier in this NASCAR betting guide, NASCAR drivers are broken up into teams based on who their owner is. Some teams only have one driver while some teams have several. Technically, NASCAR is an independent sport but teams work together for things like information, drafting, and help on the track.

While Wikipedia is rarely regarded as a reputable source by academics, it actually does an incredible job of keeping up to speed on the changes of teams and drivers.

• 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
• 2020 NASCAR Cup Series

Which NASCAR Team Has the Most Wins?

Currently, Joe Gibbs Racing has the most NASCAR wins thanks heavily in part to Kyle Busch.

Who Are the Best Road Course Drivers in NASCAR?

Currently, the names you need to be on the lookout for as the best road course drivers in NASCAR include:

• Chase Elliot
• Martin Truex Jr.
• AJ Allmendinger
• Busch Brothers
• Kevin Harvick

Additional NASCAR Betting FAQs