It’s officially crunch time in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series as the tour heads for The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals.

With just eight rounds of competition remaining this season, each event becomes more critical, and every point becomes more important as teams jockey for final positions among the top 10.

PlayNHRA, NHRA’s partnership with leading sports books and fantasy sports providers, has allowed fans to sign up for free and legally wager on national events and other outcomes in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, including this weekend’s event in Las Vegas.

NHRA fans have the opportunity to engage in fantasy games, gaming, and betting for this event. Betting markets feature the Professional classes, Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, where fans can wager on event winners, low elapsed time of the event, head-to-head matchups, and season champions.

(For more odds and info, visit the Best Bets: Ford Performance NHRA Nationals article)

The experts at Alt Sports Data have set the opening lines for this week’s event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and they have chosen Antron Brown, Austin Prock, Erica Enders, and Gaige Herrera as the pre-race favorites.

Below are the opening odds as provided by Alt Sports Data.

(Note: In American sports betting, odds are typically expressed with a plus (+) or minus (–) symbol followed by a number. For example, +200 signifies the amount a bettor could win if wagering $100. If the bet works out, the player would receive a total payout of $300; $200 profit + $100 initial stake.)

TOP FUEL

Antron Brown is listed as the early favorite, even though he comes to Las Vegas trailing Justin Ashley by 44 points in the standings. Brown does have experience on his side with three prior championships and a long history of success in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Brown opens at +575, meaning a $10 wager would return a profit of $57.50.

Four-time world champion Steve Torrence is listed second at +797, with Dallas winner Ashley close behind in third at +848. Torrence remains in the running for another title as he’s 88 points behind Ashley.

When it comes to long shots, look no further than eight-time champion Tony Schumacher at +1,199 or Brittany Force at +1,266. Schumacher remains a championship contender after his recent playoff success. As for Force, she’s not likely to win a third title but should be invigorated by the appearance of her father, John, who is scheduled to return to the track for the first time since his accident earlier this season.

FUNNY CAR

If there is a championship to be clinched in Las Vegas, it will likely be the Funny Car title as Austin Prock holds a 147-point lead over John Force and his replacement driver, Jack Beckman. Prock basically needs to win two more rounds than Beckman in order to secure his first title, and as such, he’s the favorite at +296, meaning a $10 wager makes a profit of $29.60 should he win the event.

After Prock, the order consists of Bob Tasca III, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, and Beckman, who had to sit out eliminations in Dallas due to illness.  Tasca, who has had previous success in Las Vegas, opens at +710, while Hagan is +716.

There are 21 Funny Cars on the pre-entry list, so qualifying will be difficult for many teams, but when it comes to long shots, one that stands out is Chad Green at +1,838, meaning a $10 bet would have a robust $183.80 profit.

PRO STOCK

While she hasn’t won a race since Gainesville, Erica Enders continues to be favored by oddsmakers, and she’s once again the top seed here at +471, making her a slim favorite over leader Dallas Glenn and her Elite teammate, Aaron Stanfield. Glenn opened at +499, while Stanfield sits at +574.  Greg Anderson is fourth at +642. All four drivers are in contention for the title with Glenn holding a 53-point edge over Stanfield.

There is value further down the order in Pro Stock, including recent Dallas winner Jeg Coughlin Jr., who opened at +1,248, meaning a $10 bet nets a $124.80 profit.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Gaige Herrera and Matt Smith share the favorite’s role in Pro Stock Motorcycle, with Herrera nearly an even money favorite at -112 while six-time champion Smith has opened at +274.

Herrera’s teammate, Richard Gadson, is making a final push for the NHRA Rookie of the Year award, and a win at one of the final two events would certainly help his cause. Gadson’s opening odds are +681.

While Herrera and Smith have won almost every event this season, Chase Van Sant won in Seattle, and Hector Arana Jr. won in Reading. Van Sant opens at +1,105, while Arana is a genuine long shot at +3,550. Those two represent tremendous value should the leaders falter.

Opening odds provided by Alt Sports Data (Odds are subject to change).

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