LEGAL NASCAR BETTING GUIDE FOR 2024
Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing was founded in 1947. Today, betting on NASCAR races is far and away the most popular form of wagering on motorsports in the United States.
One of the perks to betting on NASCAR is it’s one of the few sports that can be wagered on nearly year-round since it lasts from February to November, covering 10 months of the year.
If you want to get in on the action, our legal NASCAR betting guide will give you pole position. It will provide information on gambling laws as well as tips and strategies so you can navigate each race and have your bets take the checkered flag every time.
Is It Legal To Bet On NASCAR Races In 2024?
If you are at least 18 years old and live in the United States, there are no federal laws that prevent you from betting on NASCAR races when using any of the top legal offshore betting sites.
In fact, it is one of the few sports that is embracing sports betting and has several casino sponsors for the 2024 season. You can get more information on each betting site from our online sportsbook reviews.
Bovada Sportsbook
#1 Rated Legal Online Sportsbook For 2024
Bovada Sportsbook is the most popular and trusted legal online sports betting site available to USA players. Bovada features a track full of NASCAR odds, including racing futures on specific races, Cup Series odds, head-to-head lines, specific race props, and a garage full of additional action.
Site Rating
Compability
Pros
US Friendly - Most US States Accepted
Most reputable name in online sports betting
Licensed by Curacao - Operates within Costa Rica
Generous 50% bonus up to $1,000 for new members
Easy deposits using credit cards or Bitcoin/crypto
Fast and reliable payouts guaranteed
Cons
Only US, Mexico and Brazil players accepted
Excluded States: CO, CT, DC, DE, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, WV
Limited deposit options compared to other sites
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DAYTONA 500 Betting
The Daytona 500 is the inaugural race of the NASCAR season, held each February. Pole position qualifying begins on the Wednesday before the race. For further information, see our Daytona 500 betting guide, where we explain how to bet on the big race in detail.
HOW TO BET ON NASCAR RACES
Futures - Betting on the odds of a NASCAR driver to win before a race begins is known as a wager on “futures.” Not only can you bet on the race itself but you can also wager on which driver will win the championship cup months or even weeks ahead of time.
Laps Led - This type of bet is exactly as it sounds, with a wager being placed on which driver will lead the most laps. A driver’s finishing position is irrelevant since the only thing that matters is that a bet on your driver is in 1st place for more laps than any other driver.
Prop Bets - Proposition bets or “prop” bets are wagers made on something that doesn’t affect the race itself, such as whether the winning car be odd or even numbered or whether the number of caution flags will be over/under a set number.
Head To Head - If you’re looking for a bet that has only two possible outcomes, then H2H is the way to go and can be a way to get in on the action before the race itself. This type of bet can be on the qualifier or the race itself and requires you to bet on which of the two drivers in the same starting spot finish with a higher position.
Top 5 Finish - This is a bet on a specific driver to finish in the top 5 positions, and the odds are higher for all drivers since your bet doesn’t have to win the race but can finish in the top 5 out of the 43 drivers.
HOW TO PICK WINNING DRIVERS
For any of the races during the NASCAR season, one thing remains unchanged: The field starts with 43 drivers. It isn’t always the same 43 drivers because each driver must qualify on a weekly basis.
Each track has slightly different qualifying criteria, but the rule of thumb is that the fastest get to race on Sunday. Of those 43 drivers, when the checkered flag is waved, which one will end up winning? In a strict mathematical sense, each of the 43 drivers has a 2.3% chance of winning the race, but by understanding trends, driver tendencies, pit crews, and other factors, you can start to improve those odds.
Knowing how a driver performs in restrictor plate and non-restrictor plate races, whether a driver tends to wreck a lot when the track allows three-wide, and how a driver handles long, short, and road tracks is a huge part of placing successful bets and require some research ahead of time. However, doing so allows you to make an informed wager and beat the odds.
Who will win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series?
Betting on which driver will be the NASCAR Cup Series champion is one of the most difficult predictions to make in sports since a lot can happen between February and November. Current NASCAR Cup Series odds to win the championship are as follows:
UNDERSTANDING THE FORMAT
A lot can happen in the 10-month stretch of a racing season, and knowing how a driver wins the Cup Series is crucial because it differs from other sports, and the rules tend to change every few years.
For the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series, there are officially 36 races that award points, and the Cup Series champion is determined by the number of points each driver accumulates over the course of the season.
Cup Series points are awarded for the finishing position and laps led, and the 16 drivers with the most points advance to the NASCAR playoffs. Drivers can also automatically qualify for the playoffs by winning any race during the regular season.
The playoffs consist of four rounds and after the round of 16, the round of 12, the round of 8, and the Champion 4, the driver of the four remaining contenders with the highest finish at the season finale in Homestead-Miami Speedway is crowned the Cup Series champion.
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