NASCAR Betting Guide 2026: Odds, How To Bet And Strategy
The 2025 NASCAR season continues with the Cook Out 400. Ryan Blaney (+400), Kyle Larson (+500), Denny Hamlin (+650), and Chase Elliott sit atop NASCAR odds boards. The 2025 Cook Out 400 begins Sunday, March 30, at 3 p.m. EST from the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.
Here are betting odds for the 2025 Cook Out 400 at top betting sites and betting apps.
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NASCAR 2026 Schedule
Date Race Course Course Type Winner Feb. 2 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Bowman Gray Stadium Short Chase Elliott (Chevy) Feb. 16 Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway Superspeedway William
Byron
(Chevy) Feb. 23 Ambetter Health 400 Atlanta Motor Speedway Intermediate Christopher Bell
(Toyota) Mar. 2 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas Road Christopher Bell
(Toyota) Mar. 9 Shriners Children's 500 Phoenix Raceway Oval Christopher Bell
(Toyota) Mar. 16 Pennzoil 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Intermediate Josh Berry
(Ford) Mar. 23 Straight Talk Wireless 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway Intermediate Kyle Larson
(Chevrolet) Mar. 30 Cook Out 400 Martinsville Speedway Short Apr. 6 Goodyear 400 Darlington Raceway Intermediate Apr. 13 Food City 500 Bristol Motor Speedway Short Apr. 20 OFF OFF OFF N/A Apr. 27 Jack Link's 500 Talladega Superspeedway Superspeedway May 4 Wurth 400 Texas Motor Speedway Intermediate May 11 AdventHealth 400 Kansas Speedway Intermediate May 18 NASCAR All-Star Race North Wilkesboro Speedway Short May 25 Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Intermediate Jun. 1 Race at Nashville Nashville Superspeedway Intermediate Jun. 8 Firekeepers Casino 400 Michigan International Speedway Superspeedway Jun. 15 Race at Mexico City Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Road Jun. 22 Race at Pocono Pocono Raceway Superspeedway Jun. 28 Quaker State 400^ Atlanta Motor Speedway Intermediate Jul. 6 Grant Park 165^ Chicago Street Race Road Jul. 13 Toyota/Save Mart 350^ Sonoma Raceway Road Jul. 20 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400^ Dover Motor Speedway Oval Jul. 27 Brickyard 400^ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Superspeedway Aug. 3 Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol Iowa Speedway Short Aug. 10 Go Bowling at The Glen Watkins Glen International Road Aug. 16 Cook Out 400 Richmond Raceway Short Aug. 23 Coke Zero Sugar 400 Daytona International Speedway Superspeedway Aug. 31 Southern 500* Darlington Raceway Intermediate Sept. 7 Enjoy Illinois 300* World Wide Technology Raceway Intermediate Sept. 14 Bass Pro Shops Night Race* Bristol Motor Speedway Short Sept. 21 Playoff Race at New Hampshire* New Hampshire Motor Speedway Oval Sept. 28 Hollywood Casino 400* Kansas Speedway Intermediate Oct. 5 Bank of America ROVAL 400* Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course Road Oct. 12 South Point 400* Las Vegas Motor Speedway Intermediate Oct. 19 Playoff Race at Talladega Talladega Superspeedway Superspeedway Oct. 26 Playoff Race at Martinsville Martinsville Speedway Short Nov. 2 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Phoenix Raceway Oval
*notes a Playoff race
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How to bet on NASCAR online
Dozens of states have now climbed on board and given a green light to legal sports betting. Most have a mix of retail and online sportsbooks available, with some still trying to get online and mobile betting on track.
While betting in-person at a legal sportsbook can be a great experience, it’s tough to compete with the convenience of online sportsbooks and betting apps. Having a sportsbook at your fingertips lets you take advantage of betting opportunities as they develop, especially when we’re talking about live betting on NASCAR.
Biggest NASCAR races & series to bet on
There are 27 regular season races open for betting on the 2024 NASCAR schedule. Playoffs begin in September, with a 10-race elimination-style schedule. Naturally, some regular-season races are bigger than others. Here’s a look at the races that attract a ton of attention in the coming year from both viewers and bettors.
NASCAR odds: Daytona 500
- When: Sunday, Feb. 16, at 2:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
- How to Watch: FOX
- 2024 Winner: William Byron (Chevy)
NASCAR odds: Jack Link's 500
- When: Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m. ET
- Where: Talladega Superspeedway in Tallageda, Alabama
- How to Watch: FOX
- 2024 Winner: Tyler Reddick (Toyota)
NASCAR odds: Coca-Cola 600
- When: Sunday, May 25, at 6 p.m. ET
- Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina
- How to Watch: Amazon Prime
- 2024 Winner: Christopher Bell (Toyota)
NASCAR odds: Cup Series Championship
- When: Sunday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET
- Where: Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona
- How to Watch: NBC
- 2024 Winner: Joey Logano (Ford)
While the above races are the most popular on the calendar, plenty of attention is given to each of the other races as well. NASCAR runs off of a points system, so every lap in every race counts.
Drivers are awarded points based on their finishing position, as well as for things such as laps led and fastest lap. Points are tallied up all season long, and the top 16 will make it into the playoffs.
The points system continues through that series of races, which culminates at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, where the season-long champion is officially crowned.
NASCAR odds explained
You’ll find live betting odds for NASCAR races at all major sportsbooks, including our recommended online sportsbooks and betting apps. This year, there should be even more betting opportunities.
NASCAR types of bets
- Race winner: For this bet you simply pick which driver you think will win the race. Odds for weekend races are generally released early in the week, while bigger events such as the Daytona 500 may pop up well in advance.
- Top-three finish: If you like a driver to perform well in an upcoming race but aren’t completely sold that the driver will win, then consider placing a top-three wager. As long as your selected driver places in the top three of the upcoming race, you have a winning ticket.
- Pole position: Before the official race gets underway, drivers will compete in a qualifier to determine pole position for the race itself. Yep, you can bet on this, too. This is a good spot for those who have a good sense of drivers who kill it in qualifiers.
- Lap times: Think you know which driver will record the fastest lap during the race? Then place your bets. This is one of the many NASCAR bets that can help enhance the overall enjoyment of the race and keep you engaged throughout.
- Driver head-to-head matchups: A head-to-head driver matchup is just like placing a money line bet on a team-based sport. Oddsmakers will put together matchups of drivers competing in the race, and you can browse through all of them to find your favorite opportunities.
These are some of the most popular types of bets for betting on NASCAR. Other NASCAR bet types include the following:
NASCAR odds: futures
A futures bet is a wager that’s placed on an event yet to happen. For NASCAR, options will vary depending on operator, but these are the two most popular bets in that market:
- Who will win the Daytona 500?
- Which driver will win the NASCAR Championship?
In both cases, you’ll find odds listed just like any other futures market. There will be favorites with short odds, others in the middle, and long shots who aren’t considered to have much of a chance. For example, here were the opening betting favorites to win this year’s Daytona 500, courtesy of DraftKings:
- Kyle Larson +1000
- Kyle Buch +1100
- Denny Hamlin +1100
- Ryan Blaney +1200
- Chase Elliott +1200
- Joey Logano +1200
You may also find NASCAR futures available for other major races, as well as season-long accomplishments such as which driver will earn the most points and which driver will have the most wins.
NASCAR odds: prop bets
A prop bet is essentially a side wager on something that may happen during the race. Once again, offerings will vary, but we anticipate seeing some solid opportunities in thanks to the expansion of NASCAR betting. Some of the opportunities you may see include:
- How many crashes will there be in the race?
- Which manufacturer will have the winning vehicle?
- How many caution flags will appear during the race?
- How many drivers will finish the race?
In addition, you should see prop bets specific to drivers competing in the race. For example, a prop could focus on the finishing position for one of the drivers, such as William Byron.
- Over 4.5 +110
- Under 4.5 -130
If you think Bryon is a lock for fourth or better, then take your chances for a potentially solid return. If you think he’s due to fall flat, then go for the under and still be in line for a nice payday if that comes to fruition.
NASCAR odds: live betting
Live betting opportunities for NASCAR are expected to improve significantly in 2025. Once the race gets underway, you may see opportunities similar to what you were betting on in advance of the race, such as:
- Outright winner of the race
- Top three finishers
- Fastest lap in the race
- Who will win the most laps?
- Over/under on finishing positions for drivers
Odds and markets are fast-paced in live betting, so be prepared to move quickly when intriguing opportunities emerge. You can also exercise patience and get a feel for how the race is going before checking in on live odds.
From that point, check back regularly as the action unfolds on the track.
NASCAR Odds: Sports betting tips
Before diving in to NASCAR betting, get a handle on the schedule. One of the cool things about the season is that the big races are run on weekends, so you have all week to dig in and research as time permits.
Next, take a look at the upcoming season. Which drivers look like they are in a position to make some serious noise? Answering that question isn’t easy, but there’s a place you can look for clues: the NASCAR futures market. The favorites on the betting board are those who are naturally expected to have solid campaigns.
If you see a driver who's moving up the odds board, he could be the one to watch. The same holds true for drivers whose odds grow longer. Paying attention to the futures market is a great way to get more familiar with the way the betting market is moving, as well as the general perception and performance of drivers as the season moves along.
As you approach the weekly races, it’s important to understand that each of the races on the schedule is an individual event and should be approached as such. The races are contested at varying lengths and on different tracks. There will be drivers who perform well on certain tracks and falter on others, and vice versa.
Spend some time understanding which drivers perform best under which circumstances. A little bit of research in this area can help you quickly come up with a shortlist of targets for the upcoming race.
Single-race DFS for NASCAR
Beyond betting on NASCAR, you can also kick up the enjoyment level several notches by playing daily fantasy sports. Industry leaders DraftKings and FanDuel both offer DFS contests each time there’s a NASCAR race on the docket.
The concept is similar on both sites. You pick a team of drivers and stay under the predetermined salary cap. From there, you can enter the contests of your choosing.
You’ll find many types offered at varying buy-in points, ranging from low stakes 50/50s all the way up to high stakes tournaments with big prize pools.
The biggest difference on the two platforms is the number of drivers you’ll be selecting.
- On DraftKings: Six drivers
- On FanDuel: Five drivers
Scoring is similar on both spots. You’ll be awarded points for finishing position, as well as for other instances such as laps completed and laps led.
NASCAR DFS can be lots of fun and potentially profitable. Those who sign up for new accounts at DraftKings and FanDuel via our links below are eligible for exclusive perks:
NASCAR betting FAQs
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