Las Vegas Grand Prix Preview: The Fastest Sport In Sin City

Las Vegas has plenty to bet on. There are card games all over town, slot machines litter the airport and casino sports books are packed on any given Sunday. But splashy autos racing through the streets of Sin City, well, that is something else altogether. For the second time in history, this year, from November 21 through 24, Formula 1 will take over the Vegas Strip and surrounding thoroughfares and you can bet on F1 at William Hill today.

It’s cool to watch souped-up cars zipping by, and the casinos – with specially constructed viewing stands and food-intensive pampering for high rollers – turn it into a total spectacle. But the great thing for denizens of Las Vegas is that F1this month provides another local sporting event on which to wager.

F1 betting is nothing new for gamblers. In fact, you can wager on F1 races, taking place around the world, from March through November.

Naturally, William Hill, has F1 odds completely covered at all times. But there is something special about touching down in Las Vegas, being able to see the race from within roaring distance and betting on the squeals of the wheels.

In a place known for its high-octane gambling, Formula 1 promises be the fastest sport on which to wager.

Already, William Hill has up a smorgasbord of gambling opportunities. Frontrunners for the Vegas competition are Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris. As per William Hill on November 12, they are both handicapped at 9/4 .

Though the numbers show them as being even, in the hearts of fans and fellow racers, the neck-and-neck favorite tends to be Verstappen.

Considering his red-hot eight wins and 393 points this season, betting on the guy is never a terrible idea. But if you are going to put hard-earned cash behind him, it’s a good idea to know why you are doing it and what makes him so fearsome on the track.

It generally comes down to more speed than his competitors, natural talent and, as put by a fellow driver on team Red Bull, “His ability to extract the maximum from the car is unparalleled.”

The Wall Street Journal painted Verstappen as being “too good” – in the sense that he makes the race outcomes boringly predictable.
Maybe so, but it’s not so boring if you bet on Verstappen and win.

That said, however, if Norris, with three wins and 331 points, is more to your liking, consider the incredible consistency and raw speed that puts him right alongside Verstappen.

Competition in Vegas promises to be particularly fierce between the two speed demons. Verstappen needs to simply beat Norris, in any position, and that will guarantee his fourth world title.

An interesting point made by an F1 insider is that Verstappen are Norris are so dominating that it is as if you are wagering on a two-person car race.

Basically, his advice goes, ignore everyone else – even though Zhou Guanyu, with his 250/1 odds, is a perfect fit for dreamers as well as optimists. Also, keep in mind that Vegas in November is as cold as it gets for F1 racing and that does have an impact on the drivers’ performances.

No doubt, competition will be at a fever pitch on the streets of Las Vegas. And there is little doubt that canny bettors logged into William Hill will find their edges by capitalizing on sliver-sized advantages.