In the grand scheme of betting, NASCAR is still just beginning, but over the last couple of years betting on NASCAR has grown at an alarming pace. In the summer, when there is no football, sports like NASCAR, tennis and golf become an important source of business to bookmakers
You could previously only bet on the overall winner, however, betting on the “outright winner” has become a distant second to wagering on which of two competitors will have the better “head-to-head” results. Bookmakers typically offer match-ups based on driver’s of similar skill, and will offer anywhere from a dozen to 50 match-ups on a race.
As with any sport, predicting the winner of a race is difficult, but the returns can be very high. For example, Mark Martin might be 30/1 to win the entire race, but remember there are 42 other drivers in the race!
Predicting the winner of a head-to-head match-up is easier, but the return is far less as well. For example, Mark Martin (let’s say he is 25/1 to win the race) might be matched up against Jeff Burton (20/1 to win the race) for betting purposes. For such a match-up Martin only has to beat Burton. He could finish 42nd and still the bet could be a winner! In a case like this the line might be Martin +120 and Burton -140, so your £100 on Martin only pays £120 if he beats Burton. If Martin wins the race, you would still only get the £120 instead of the £2500 it would pay if you had picked him to win the race.
Once you have chosen your drivers, you have to decide whether you want to bet on the entire race or on the match-ups or both. If you prefer match-ups, check through the list to see if there are any situations where your chosen drivers may be up against opponents who are big names, but are running cold or on a track they struggle on. These situations will bring you the best value for your money.
