The NASCAR circuit heads to Martinsville this weekend for the first of two consecutive stops in Virginia, marking a soft launch of WynnBET’s sponsorship that is closely tied to the state. WynnBET, a subsidiary of the posh Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts, has partnerships with both Virginia tracks – Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway.
WynnBET’s foray into auto racing looks to be only positive for fans and bettors, and to be clear, you do not need to be a resident of Virginia to place a legal bet in the state; you just need to be in the state, so if you’re headed to Martinsville or Richmond from out of state, downloading a betting app, making a deposit and placing a few wagers should be a snap.
RELATED: Explore BetCenter | Odds for Martinsville race
WynnBET’s NASCAR deal includes access to live data feeds that allow the sportsbook to post in-race odds that change as the race progresses. We’ve touched several times in this space on in-race betting, or live betting, which offers bettors the opportunity to get involved after the green flag drops. It’s a fun way to wager, and it favors astute race observers able to analyze what they’ve been witnessing to find an edge in the betting markets. Expect in-race betting options to expand as we move forward, particularly with deals such as WynnBET’s.
Another aspect of the deal of interest to race fans – WynnBET lounges are planned for both Virginia tracks. Such sportsbook-themed lounges are becoming popular across the entire sports landscape, as most states’ regulations do not allow actual sportsbooks within sports facilities (Illinois and the District of Columbia are exceptions). To recreate an experience similar to what one would find at a sportsbook, venues and their sponsors are constructing lounges with oddsboards, big screens and bars.
In Virginia, in fact, there are not yet any brick-and-mortar establishments at which to make a bet – mobile sports betting is your only option. The state’s regulations allow for a maximum of 12 sports betting apps, and six are now live and ready for your action. In addition to WynnBET, BetMGM – an official NASCAR partner – is up and running. Barstool Sportsbook expects to launch in Virginia in the coming months.
As is always our recommendation, bettors should shop around various sportsbooks to find the best odds, best experience and best sign-up bonuses, which they nearly all offer. Be careful with these sign-up bonuses, however. Yes, they can be used to a bettor’s advantage, but there’s always fine print to be mindful of. WynnBET is offering a $500 “risk-free bet” when you sign up, and SportsHandle does a nice job of summarizing how this works.
Odds at WynnBET
As of Thursday, numerous betting markets are posted on WynnBET’s Virginia app – race winner, team of race winner, drivers to finish in the top four, top five and top 10, top finisher among groups of six, top Chevy driver, top Ford driver, and the last digit of the winning car. The offerings in Virginia are more robust than what WynnBET has posted in other states.
Picking the race winner is extraordinarily difficult, exemplified through the early stretch of this season with seven different drivers winning the first seven races. If you can nail it, though, you’ll be rewarded with a nice payday.
While Martin Truex Jr., winner of two of the three most recent Cup races in Martinsville, is the betting favorite heading into the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500, priced at +500 (bet $100 to win $500) at WynnBET, he is one of six drivers priced at odds of less than 10/1, an indication we’re in for another wide-open affair.
Truex is followed on the oddsboard by Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski, both listed at +600. Keselowski has two Martinsville victories on his resume, and Elliott won here in November.
Next up is Ryan Blaney at +700 and then it’s Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano at +750.
With the race favorite plus Hamlin, who was once dominant at Martinsville, and 12/1 Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing has the shortest price in the winning team market, offered at +170 at WynnBET.
Team Penske, which boasts three drivers near the top of the oddsboard, looks to be the better value at +215. Hendrick Motorsports is +300.
Download the WynnBET app and check out all the odds here, and scroll through BetMGM’s opening outright prices here.
Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.