Well that didn't take long. With just two races in the books, legal sportsbooks across the U.S. have approved betting on the NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
DraftKings Sportsbook began offering virtual NASCAR betting to its West Virginia customers last week, while Nevada Gaming Control approved it for the state's sportsbooks on Friday.
Not only are futures available for bettors, but sportsbooks are also offering odds on various prop bets, like head-to-head driver matchups and top-three finishes.
And when it comes to prop-betting opportunities for Sunday's Food City Showdown at Bristol, one wager with double-digit odds has piqued my interest.
Odds as of Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.
NASCAR iRacing at Bristol Prop Betting Picks
Kyle Busch (+1000) to Finish Top 3
I really like the value with Busch to win outright at +4000, and am also taking him at +1000 to finish in the top three.
From a statistical standpoint, there's not much to lean on to explain why I think Busch can contend today, but that's also why he's such a longshot.
But it's Busch's fiery competitive nature that makes me think he's undervalued by the betting market
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion does not like to lose, and has been working extremely hard at getting up to speed on virtual racing. And unlike traditional NASCAR which has strict practice and testing rules, iRacing participants can hop on their rigs and run as many laps as they please, so those motivated to improve can do exactly that.
Again, this bet is much more subjective than data-driven, but that's not enough to stop me from locking in the double-digit price.
