Best Bets: NHRA Gatornationals Pre-Event Odds Analysis

Schedule and How to Watch NHRA Gatornationals 2025

A festival of racing awaits at the Gainesville Raceway this weekend, to start the 2025 season in style. Four days of racing accelerates off the line on Thursday, March 6th and runs until Sunday, March 9th. Two qualifiers are penciled in for Thursday, but the real action takes off on Friday morning. The Funny Car and Top Fuel finals close out proceedings on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

NHRA.TV is the dedicated broadcaster for the Florida event, bringing you every showdown from trackside. For a comprehensive breakdown of the event schedule, including specific times for each class, head over to the official NHRA event page. 

If betting is on your agenda, don’t forget to follow the live action and keep an eye on NXTbets for updates on odds and prices.

Odds Subject to Change

Please note, the odds provided herein reflect the raw probability odds for this analysis and are based on the information available at the time of publishing. Different sportsbooks may adjust these odds based on market conditions, bettor behaviors, and other factors that could influence the betting landscape. 

For a deeper understanding of why odds for alternative sports betting change and how it might affect your betting strategy, we encourage you to read our detailed article: Why Do Alternative Sports Betting Odds Change?. Make informed decisions and always check the latest odds with your sportsbook before placing bets.

Best Bets and Picks for NHRA Gatornationals 

Top Fuel

Top Picks and Bets – Top Fuel

Antron Brown (+554) 

Defending series champion, Antron Brown has the punter’s confidence over Langdon for the season opener. Brown performed consistently last season, collecting six wins on his way to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Shawn Langdon (+675)

Shawn Langdon returns to Northern Florida to retain his Top Fuel Gatornationals crown he won last year. The Californian got off to a flyer in 2024, winning two of the first three races, but that was as good as it got for Langdon who eventually settled for fourth in the series.

Doug Kalitta (+729)

The 2023 NHRA Top Fuel Champion, Doug Kalitta enjoyed some success last season, driving to a trio of series wins. He fell 62 points short of retaining his title, passing the crown on to Antron Brown.

Outsider Picks – Top Fuel

Brittany Force (+829)

Brittany Force exhibited her class in the penultimate race of the year in 2024, surging to victory at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals. While she remains a longshot to win the event, Force knows how to gain speed and is the favorite to set the fastest elapsed time at +560.

Steve Torrence (+869)

A previous victor at the Gatornationals, Steve Torrence enters the 2025 edition as an outsider. Torrence rode down the winner’s lane in Gainesville back in 2020, and was eliminated in E3 in 2024. The Texan held on to seventh in the series last season, taking the checkered flag in the Northwest Nationals.

Justin Ashley (+872)

The third best Top Fuel rider in 2024, Justin Ashley starts the Gatornationals as a longshot, despite coming off a strong season. Ashley returned to the winner’s lane four times last year, which is why his odds make him an attractive option for the season opener.

Expert Pick – Top Fuel

After a dominant 2024, Antron Brown has put the Top Fuel competitors on notice. He is our expert pick in the division for the Gatornationals, priced at +554 for the win.

Head-to-Head Picks – Top Fuel

Funny Car

Top Picks and Bets – Funny Car

Austin Prock (+118)

Reigning series Champion Austin Prock has unfinished business in Gainesville, after losing out to J.R. Todd last year. However, the season was all positive from then on, as he surged to eight victories and the Championship.

Jack Beckman (+989)

Jack Beckman finished 2024 on a high, winning two of his last four Funny Car duels. Beckman tasted success at this Florida venue back in 2018, but has struggled to replicate that form in his last six visits to the venue.

Bob Tasca III (+1000) 

Bob Tasca III fell short in the semi-final at the 2024 Gatornationals, losing out to the eventual winner J.R. Todd. Bob racked up three wins during the year to finish fifth on the table

Outsider Picks – Funny Car

Matt Hagan (+1049)

Four-time Funny Car series Champion Matt Hagan, finds himself in unfamiliar territory as an outsider pulling into Gainesville. The Virginian won this event back-to-back in 2022 and 2023, but was knocked out in E2 last year by Chad Green.

Ron Capps (+1259)

It was 19 years ago that Ron Capps earned his first Gatornationals title in the Funny Car department, going back to back the following year. Capps has now won the Gainesville event four times, and the veteran has three Drag Racing Series titles to his name.

J.R. Todd (+1395)

The defending Gatornationals Funny Car champion J.R. Todd returns to his happy hunting ground as a longshot. Your 2018 series Champion kicked off 2024 in style, winning the first race and getting eliminated in E3 for race two, but he struggled from there onwards, closing out the season as the eighth best driver.

Expert Pick – Funny Car

Funny Car series and Gatornationals favorite Austin Prock is our expert pick for this weekend. He is the hot favorite at +118, and the rest of the field have their work cut out for them if they are to prevail.

Head-to-Head Picks – Funny Car

Pro Stock Car

Top Picks and Bets – Pro Stock Car

Greg Anderson (+389)

Greg Anderson pipped Dallas Glenn for the 2024 Pro Stock Car title, picking up three wins in the process. His series title was won by consistency rather than dominance, as Enders, Stanfield and Glenn chased him down throughout the series.

Erica Enders (+481)

Erica Enders ended 2024 as the fourth best driver in Pro Stock Car in 2024, despite starting the year hot with a win. Enders enters the Gatornationals as the defending Champion and she has six series titles to her name.

Dallas Glenn (+541)

Washington native Dallas Glenn was hot in 2024, surging to five victories in the season and finishing only 11 points behind eventual series winner Greg Anderson. Glenn lost to Anderson in the final encounter of the season, relegating him to second on the standings. Dallas will hope for a repeat of 2022 when he claimed the Gaternational when he lifted the trophy.

Outsider Picks – Pro Stock Car

Aaron Stansfield (+647)

Six wins last year were only enough to pit Aaron Stansfield in third for the series. Stansfield ended the season one point behind Glenn and 12 adrift of the series victor Anderson.

Jeg Coughlin Jr (+1184)

Jeg Coughlin Jr arrives in Northern Florida with 88 career wins in the NHRA, four of those came in 2024. Coughlin Jr outdid himself last season, ending in the top five, a far cry from his 18th position in the 2023 series.

Troy Coughlin Jr (+1226)

Last season didn’t go according to plan for Troy Coughlin Jr, who finished 9th overall, despite his struggles, he still returned to the winner’s circle once, in the NHRA New England Nationals.

Expert Pick – Pro Stock Car

Six times Drag Racing Series Champion Erica Enders is our expert pick for the Pro Stock car category, favorably priced at +481 for the win.

Head-to-Head Picks – Pro Stock Car

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Top Picks and Bets – Pro Stock Motorcycle

Gaige Herrera (-118) 

The odds suggest that Gaige Herrera has this one in the bag, and he’s a sensible pick for punters. Herrera won 10 times in 2024 en route to his series crown. Herrera starts the season looking for his third consecutive Gatornational title and Drag Racing Series title.

Matt Smith (+294)

North Carolina local Matt Smith kicks off 2025 with 41 career victories, including three in the past season. Smith won 7 fewer races than Herrera, but still ended the season in second, only 89 points off the winner. Smith went back to back in Gainesville in 2020 and 2021, and is definitely Herrera’s biggest challenge this weekend.

Richard Gadson (+707) 

Richard Gadson performed admirably in his rookie Pro Stock Motorcycle season last year to grab the final podium place in the series. He has his work cut out for him against Herrera and Smith, but he’s matured significantly in the last 12 months and is hunting his maiden NHRA Pro Stock victory.

Outsider Picks – Pro Stock Motorcycle

Chase Van Sant (+1518)

The NHRA Northwest Nationals was the happiest event of 2024 for Chase Van Sant, giving him his only return to the winner’s lane. Van Sant finished just outside the top five in the series last season, an improvement on his ninth position in 2023.

Angie Smith (+2655)

Angie Smith finished last season in fourth, her best campaign to date. Smith was significantly improved in 2024, after ending the prior year in 8th. She starts 2025 with three career wins behind her and is looking to complete the podium in the Pro Stock motorcycle series.

John Hall (+2741)

After finishing 13th in the 2023 series, John Hall got down to business last year, ending 2024 in seventh. The two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle race winner aims to break into the top five this season, but he will need more victories in 2025.

Expert Pick – Pro Stock Motorcycle

His odds are short for a reason, but you can’t bet against Gaige Herrera when he has dominated so consistently for two years. Sportsbooks have Herrera at -118, but it’s tough to see anyone beside Matt Smith challenging him for the trophy.

Head-to-Head Picks – Pro Stock Motorcycle

Where to Bet on NHRA Gatornationals 2025

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Get the latest odds and exclusive offers at our partnered sportsbooks to place your bets. If you’re new to NHRA betting, our comprehensive NHRA Betting Guide is a must-read.