2026 NASCAR Cup Series Betting Odds & Lines - Bet on Daytona 500 & NASCAR Racing Online

NASCAR is one of the biggest motorsports in the world, and you can bet on all the action here at Stake Sportsbook, including the premier competition, the NASCAR Cup Series. In this guide, you’ll learn what the NASCAR Cup Series is and its history, as well as how to bet on the series and what to expect in 2026.

What is NASCAR Racing?

The National Association for Stock Car Racing, better known as NASCAR, is the biggest and most famous stock car racing organisation in the world. It’s also one of the largest spectator sports in the US, and NASCAR currently sanctions three national series that take place each year.

Stock racing traces its roots back to the prohibition era of the United States, where drivers ran bootleg moonshine whiskey across the country, using small, fast cars that were modified to be able to evade police. Although prohibition ended in 1933, the tradition of modifying cars and racing continued, particularly in rural southern states of the US.

NASCAR was founded in 1948 and is considered to be one of the top-ranked motorsports organisations. Every year, the organisation sanctions over 1,500 races, which typically take place at tracks across the US. However, NASCAR races have also been held in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Europe.

Biggest NASCAR Events

The biggest and most prestigious events in NASCAR are known as the Crown Jewels. Currently, there are four established Crown Jewel races:

• Daytona 500 - Richest race on the circuit and known as the Super Bowl of racing, it acts as the season opener and takes place in February at Daytona International Speedway.

• Coca-Cola 600 - The longest race on the calendar, it’s held on Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

• Southern 500 - The oldest superspeedway race and known as the track too tough to tame, this race takes place over Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway.

• Brickyard 400 - Designated a Crown Jewel race since 1994 and held in late July at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What is the NASCAR Cup Series?

The most prestigious series in stock racing is the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS). Consisting of 36 races over ten months, this competition sees the best drivers and cars competing to be crowned champion.

The season is split into two halves, with the initial 26 races forming the regular season and the final 10 making up the playoffs. Every race, drivers earn points for finish placement and the number of laps led. The top sixteen drivers are seeded based on the number of wins and enter the playoffs, where they compete for the Bill France Cup.

Aside from the Driver’s Championship, trophies are also awarded to the best manufacturers and owners. The Manufacturer’s Championship and Owner’s Championships are awarded to the teams with the most points at the end of the season.

NASCAR Cup Series History

1949 saw the inaugural Cup Series season, then known as the Strictly Stock division. This first season of the competition saw teams compete on seven dirt ovals and the Daytona Beach course. Among the tracks was the Martinsville Speedway, which remains the only track still used in the schedule today.

Grand National Era

For the 1950 season, the Strictly Stock division was renamed as the Grand National, a name it remained known as until 1971. In the early days of the Grand National, the competition didn’t have a fixed schedule and a season could feature up to sixty races. Often, there were multiple races taking place over a weekend, with more than one happening on the same day in different states.

Modern Era

In 1972, thanks to the sponsorship from a tobacco company, the Grand National became the Winston Cup, and this marked the beginning of NASCAR’s modern era. The schedule was reduced to 31 races from 48, with dirt tracks and tracks shorter than 400 km removed.

In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race to be fully televised, with the drama of a crash on the final lap and an ensuing fistfight between the drivers involved proving to be a major hit with TV audiences. Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first non-exhibition race of the season.

Format Changes

The NCS experienced a huge increase in popularity over the 1990s, with the prize money for winning the Daytona 500 tripling between 1997 and 1998. In 1999, NASCAR signed broadcasting deals with Fox, Turner and NBC worth a total of $2.4 billion.

In 2004, NASCAR introduced the playoffs format for crowning the champion, which was then known as The Chase. The new format was designed to make the late stage of the season more exciting for viewers and meant that teams and drivers had to perform at their best over the entire season.

Who is Racing in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series?

Chevrolet

Haas Factory Team

• Cole Custer

Hendrick Motorsports (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 winners)

• Kyle Larson (2021, 2025)

• Chase Elliott (2020)

• William Byron

• Alex Bowman

Hyak Motorsports

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Kaulig Racing

• Ty Dillon

• A. J. Allmendinger

Richard Childress Racing (1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994 winners)

• Austin Dillon

• Kyle Busch (2015, 2019)

Rick Ware Racing

• Cody Ware

Spire Motorsports

• Daniel Suárez

• Michael McDowell

• Carson Hocevar

Trackhouse Racing

• Ross Chastain

• Shane van Gisbergen

Ford

Front Row Motorsports

• Noah Gragson

• Todd Gillialand

• Zane Smith

RFK Racing

• Brad Keselowski (2012)

• Chris Buescher

• Ryan Preece

Team Penske (2012, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 winners)

• Austin Cindric

• Ryan Blaney (2023)

• Joey Logano (2018, 2022, 2024)

Wood Brothers Racing

• Josh Berry

Toyota

23Xi Racing

• Bubba Wallace

• Riley Herbst

• Tyler Reddick

Joe Gibbs Racing (2000, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2019 winners)

• Denny Hamlin

• Chase Briscoe

• Christopher Bell

• Ty Gibbs

Legacy Motor Club

• John Hunter Nemechek

• Erik Jones

NASCAR Cup Series 2026 Schedule

Here’s the full season of 36 races for the NASCAR Cup Series 2026, including the ten playoff races that decide the NASCAR Cup Series Championship:

Outside the regular season and the playoffs, the NASCAR Cup Series also includes two exhibition races at the start of the season and two at the midway point:

How to Bet on NASCAR & Motorsport Bet Types

Betting on NASCAR is easy enough. Check out our full sports betting guide if you’re completely new to betting on sports. Here are the basic steps to follow:

1. Log in to your Stake account using your password or secure passkey .

2. Make a deposit if necessary with any of our accepted payment methods.

3. Search for NASCAR and choose a live or upcoming race.

4. Check the latest betting odds, then select a market to add to your bet slip.

5. Enter your stake and confirm to place.

6. Watch the live stream to enjoy the race as it happens.

There are many different NASCAR bet types to choose from, including:

• Moneyline/race winner – This is simply a bet on which driver you think will win an upcoming race.

• Top finisher – Choose the driver you think will finish in the top positions of a race.

• Head-to-head – Bet on which driver you think will win in a head-to-head battle.

• Driver or team props – Props allow you to bet on specific outcomes during a race. For example, which driver has the fastest lap or which team wins the most points.

• Over/under – This is a bet on the total number of lead changes or caution flags during the race. You can also bet on the over/under for the number of season wins for each driver.

• Outrights – This lets you predict the outcome of the season, such as the NASCAR Cup Series winner or the number of season wins for a specific driver.

Live Stream Motorsports & Live NASCAR Betting

At Stake, we offer both pre-live and live betting markets on the NASCAR Cup Series. While a race is ongoing, you can log into your account, check the latest live odds and place bets. Our free live streams are available on all NASCAR Cup Series races, so you can enjoy all the action as you bet.

NASCAR Cup Series Betting Odds and Payouts

NASCAR Cup Series betting odds work the same way as any of the sports we offer here at Stake Sportsbook. Check the odds before you place your bet to calculate your potential payout. Remember to use our Stake Smart budget calculator to set your betting budget and always bet responsibly.

At Stake, you can switch between odds formats to make it easier for you to calculate your payouts. Before you get started, make sure you read our guide on how to understand betting odds and the differences between American, decimal and fractional odds.

Decimal

For decimal odds, simply multiply your stake by the odds to work out how much you’d get back from a winning bet. So if you bet $100 on 3.5 odds and win, you’d receive $350, which consists of the $100 stake plus $250 profit.

Fractional

For fractional odds, multiply your stake by the left number in the fraction and then divide by the right number of the fraction to work out potential profit. If you bet $100 on 7/2 odds, you’d make $350 profit if your bet wins, plus you’d get back your $100 stake.

American

American or moneyline odds use a plus or minus symbol, and the way you work out the potential profits depends on which symbol is used.

For odds with a plus symbol, the number is the amount you’d win if you bet $100. So a $100 bet on odds of +250 would payout $250 in profit.

For odds with a minus symbol, the number is how much you’d need to bet to win $100. You’d need to bet $100 on odds of -150 to win $150.

NASCAR Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies

1. Pay attention to practice laps – Practice lap averages are often a great indication of how a race will go. The drivers with the best practice lap average will typically go on to win the race.

2. Check form – Racing form is another great indicator of success. If a driver has put a series of great performances together in previous races, there’s a great chance they’ll do well in their upcoming race.

3. Look at track history – Some drivers simply perform better on certain tracks because different racetracks cater to different racing styles. Check the track history for the top picks to find a likely race winner.

4. Read our blog to stay up to date - We offer expert analysis and opinions on our sports blog, including picks and predictions for major upcoming events. Always read through the blog before you bet.

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