Author
Veteran motorsports expert David Caraviello is bringing his knowledge of NASCAR odds and drivers to BetCarolina.com. He has covered major NASCAR Cup Series events, including the Daytona 500.
I cover the key NASCAR races to watch, how to bet on NASCAR in North Carolina and more in this article.
NASCAR sees North Carolina sports betting as a huge opportunity for the league. NASCAR Sports Betting Director Joe Solosky told BetCarolina as much in a two-part interview ahead of launch (Part 1 & Part 2).
Charlotte, North Carolina is sometimes called the unofficial home of NASCAR. In fact, a 2018 Neilsen Scarborough study found that North Carolina has the most NASCAR fans of any U.S. state, with high concentrations of NASCAR enthusiasts in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and Asheville.
But why, when its headquarters is famously in Florida?
🏁 More: Coca-Cola 600 Odds
Well, North Carolina is the birthplace of NASCAR. The league first started in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and built its first-ever race track in North Wilkesboro, where the North Wilkesboro Speedway still holds races today.
The Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough was the second NASCAR track ever to be built and is the only dirt track still remaining from the league's inaugural 1949 season. It's no longer in use, but it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a great walking trail.
Charlotte is home to not only the Charlotte Motor Speedway, but also the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where some of the most famous drivers are enshrined. Speaking of famous NASCAR drivers, the first family of motorsports—the Earnhardts—hail from Kannapolis, NC.
Currently, Mooresville is currently known as "Race City USA" because so many NASCAR drivers and teams are based out of there. Mooresville is also the corporate HQ of NASCAR Technical Institute. Many drivers still live and train in North Carolina,
NASCAR has recently partnered with DraftKings North Carolina, while the Charlotte Motor Speedway is partnering with BetMGM NC.
In states that allow mobile wagering, over 90% of bets are placed online, and there's every indication that North Carolina will follow suit now that online sports betting is live. Top betting apps for North Carolina, such as DraftKings and BetMGM, will offer NASCAR championship odds as well as a full menu of online betting options for each week’s race.
You can bet on one driver to win outright, or go with other options like a top-three, top-five or top-10 finish. Head-to-head driver matchups and group betting will also be available online, as will props like winning car manufacturer or top-finishing driver for each team.
The bigger the race, the more online wagering options sports bettors will find.
NASCAR odds are expressed in moneyline format—the higher the number, the bigger the longshot and the larger the prospective payout.
Taking Brad Keselowski +1800 to win the championship means you’d earn $1,800 for every $100 wagered if he hoists the trophy. A minus sign, by contrast, means you’d have to bet that much to earn $100 in winnings; Ryan Blaney -110 for a top-10 finish means you’d have to bet $110 to win $100.
Outright winners, matchups, props, group betting—they’ll all use moneyline odds, which make NASCAR bets very easy to understand and place.
North Carolina sports bettors are able to choose from an array of NASCAR wager types. Although outright winner picks get the most attention, bettors will also be able to wager on head to head and group bets, futures, props and live betting. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular types of NASCAR bets and how to bet in North Carolina on them.
Want to make the most of your NASCAR wagering experience with North Carolina sports betting officially live? Just follow these tips.
🔥 Learn More: NC Sports Betting Bonus
While NASCAR’s national division consists of three series—the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series—the overwhelming majority of NASCAR betting odds in North Carolina will involve the Cup Series.
NASCAR’s 2024 Cup Series schedule includes 36 points races spanning 27 tracks in 20 U.S. states. The first 26 races constitute the regular season, while the final 10 determine the series champion.
Within that 36-race Cup Series schedule, some races stand out more than others, akin to major championships in golf. Those events like the Daytona 500 will typically offer a broader array of NASCAR betting odds than other races, though bettors will find staples like outright winner every week.
Race | Location | Winner |
---|---|---|
📅 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum (Feb. 4) | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Denny Hamlin |
📅 Bluegreen Vacations Duels 1 & 2 at Daytona (Feb. 15) | Daytona International Speedway | Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell |
📅 Daytona 500 (Feb. 18) | Daytona International Speedway | William Byron |
📅 Ambetter Health 400 (Feb. 25) | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Daniel Suarez |
📅 Pennzoil 400 (March 3) | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Kyle Larson |
📅 Shriners Children's 500 (March 10) | Phoenix Raceway | Christopher Bell |
📅 Food City 500 (March 17) | Bristol Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin |
📅 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (March 24) | Circuit of the Americas | William Byron |
📅 Toyota Owners 400 (March 31) | Richmond Raceway | Denny Hamlin |
📅 NASCAR Cup Series Spring Race at Martinsville (April 7) | Martinsville Speedway | William Byron |
📅 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (April 14) | Texas Motor Speedway | Chase Elliott |
📅 GEICO 500 (April 21) | Talladega Superspeedway | Tyler Reddick |
📅 Würth 400 (April 28) | Dover Speedway | Denny Hamlin |
📅 AdventHealth 400 (May 5) | Kansas Speedway | Kyle Larson |
📅 Goodyear 400 (May 12) | Darlington Raceway | Brad Keselowski |
📅 NASCAR All-Star Open & Race (May 19) | North Wilkesboro Speedway | Ty Gibbs |
📅 Coca-Cola 600 (May 26) | Charlotte Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 Enjoy Illinois 300 (June 2) | World Wide Technology Raceway | TBD |
📅 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (June 9) | Sonoma Raceway | TBD |
📅 Iowa Corn 350 (June 16) | Iowa Speedway | TBD |
📅 NASCAR Cup Series Race at New Hampshire (June 23) | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 Ally 400 (June 30) | Nashville Superspeedway | TBD |
📅 Grant Park 165 (July 7) | Chicago, IL | TBD |
📅 HighPoint.com 400 (July 14) | Pocono Raceway | TBD |
📅 Brickyard 400 (July 21) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 Cook Out 400 (Aug. 11) | Richmond Raceway | TBD |
📅 FireKeepers Casino 400 (Aug. 18) | Michigan International Raceway | TBD |
📅 Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Aug. 24) | Daytona International Speedway | TBD |
📅 Cook Out Southern 500 (Sept. 1) | Darlington Raceway | TBD |
📅 Quaker State 400 (Sept. 8) | Atlanta Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 Go Bowling at The Glen (Sept. 15) | Watkins Glen International | TBD |
📅 Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Sept. 21) | Bristol Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 Hollywood Casino 400 (Sept. 29) | Kansas Speedway | TBD |
📅 YellaWood 500 (Oct. 6) | Talladega Superspeedway | TBD |
📅 Bank of America ROVAL 400 (Oct. 13) | Charlotte Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 South Point 400 (Oct. 20) | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | TBD |
📅 NASCAR Cup Series Race at Homestead-Miami (Oct. 27) | Homestead-Miami Speedway | TBD |
📅 XFINITY 500 (Nov. 3) | Martinsville Speedway | TBD |
📅 NASCAR Cup Series Championship (Nov. 10) | Phoenix Raceway | TBD |
The Food City 500 marked the first NASCAR Cup Series race after online sportsbook operators launch in North Carolina.
The “Super Bowl of NASCAR” is the sport’s season-opening points race. Contested since 1959, the Daytona 500 is held on a big, fast 2.5-mile oval track that’s known for 190 mph speeds, and it produces the occasional surprise winner.
This is the annual spring race at Talladega, a 2.66-mile behemoth of a racetrack that can make even Daytona look tame. Talladega’s high banks generate tremendous speeds, drivers race in five-wide packs, and the winner feels joy and relief in equal measure.
The top 16 drivers at the end of the regular season qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which over the season’s final 10 events progressively reduces the field down to a “Championship 4." Winning races is prioritized—winning automatically gets drivers into the playoff, and automatically qualifies them for the next round.
Without a race victory, drivers are left to survive on points gained from their finishing positions, which means one wreck or breakdown can destroy their title hopes. Every three playoff events, the field is reduced, and those who get eliminated are racing only for pride the rest of the way.
Round of 16
Round of 12
Round of 8
NASCAR Championship Race
The NASCAR Cup Series Race Championship will be held on Nov. 10, 2024, at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.
For the title contenders in NASCAR’s top series, it all comes down to this. NASCAR’s playoff whittles the postseason field down to four final drivers, and the highest finisher among that group on the 1-mile oval takes home the championship.
Here is the Top 10 odds for 2024's NASCAR Cup Series Championship, according to DraftKings:
🥇 Kyle Larson | +380 |
William Byron | +450 |
Denny Hamlin | +450 |
Christopher Bell | +900 |
Chase Elliott | +900 |
Tyler Reddick | +1100 |
Ryan Blaney | +1200 |
Martin Truex, Jr. | +1200 |
Ross Chastain | +1400 |
Joey Logano | +1600 |
Ty Gibbs | +1800 |
✅ Odds Last Updated: | December 6, 2024 |
With 57 points, Ross Chastain won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race in 2023, where he led 157 of 312 laps (50.3%).
There are two active NASCAR tracks in North Carolina: the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the North Wilkesboro Speedway.
This year's NASCAR All-Star race will be held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The first-ever All-Star competition was held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1985 and continued in Charlotte from 1987-2019.
The 600 is a Memorial Day weekend tradition in Charlotte since 1960. A crown jewel of the sport, the Coca-Cola 600 runs from late afternoon into evening, forcing drivers to adjust to changing track conditions as well as the distance of NASCAR’s longest race.
The annual fall race in Charlotte was switched in 2018 to a “ROVAL” which incorporates the infield road course in addition to the four corners of the oval track. The result is a race with lots of action, all of it magnified by the event’s placement deep in the NASCAR Playoffs.
Recap the 2023 Bank of America ROVAL 400 odds.
Author
Veteran motorsports expert David Caraviello is bringing his knowledge of NASCAR odds and drivers to BetCarolina.com. He has covered major NASCAR Cup Series events, including the Daytona 500.
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