The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Circuit of the Americas on Sunday for the 2023 Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix. Green flag is scheduled to drop shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX) from Austin, Texas. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the 2023 Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix odds, and make our expert NASCAR picks and predictions.
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Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix: What you need to know
- Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott won the inaugural race at COTA in May 2021, but remains sidelined. Jordan Taylor will take his place
- Taylor was 10th in Saturday’s practice session, turning a best speed of 92.404 mph, and he qualified 4th with a speed of 93.174 mph. He’ll start on the outside of Row 2 on Sunday
- TrackHouse Racing’s Ross Chastain picked up checkers in last season’s race, and he was 4th in the 2021 run, so he has managed a 2.5 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in 2 Cup starts at COTA
- Hendrick’s Alex Bowman hasn’t won in 2 Cup starts in Austin, but he has a 2nd-place run, and an 8th-place showing, while leading 3 laps
- Hendrick’s William Byron is on the pole after a best speed of 93.882 mph, with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick on the outside of Row 1. Reddick also topped Saturday’s practice session at 92.989 mph
- Team Penske’s Austin Cindric is the top Ford in the starting grid, qualifying in the 3rd position
- Michael McDowell has run well in his 2 Cup starts at COTA, finishing 7th and 13th, for an AFP of 10.0. He has led 3 laps total
- 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace has been awful in his 2 COTA experiences, posting 2 DNFs with an AFP of 38.5
- Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has also struggled at Circuit of the Americas, posting a 22nd-place finish, and a 37th-place DNF, good for just a 29.5 AFP with 0 laps led
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Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix – Expert pick
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:36 p.m. ET.
The chalk is TYLER REDDICK (+350), and he certainly looked good in both practice and qualifying. For a chance to multiply your initial wager by 3 1/2 times, he is still worth a look.
The better value might be ROSS CHASTAIN (+1000), however. He won this race last season, and he showed plenty of speed at 92.520 mph in Saturday’s practice run. He fell off a little in qualifying, and will go off 12th, but he should be able to matriculate his way up through the field rather nicely.
Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix – Long shot
Chase Elliott’s road course fill-in, JORDAN TAYLOR (+2000), is worth a look in the No. 9 machine.
Taylor looked very comfortable behind the wheel of the Hendrick ride, turning in a speed of 92.404 mph in Saturday’s morning practice session, which was 10th fastest. He then bested that in qualifying, hitting 93.174 mph, so he’ll go off 4th in Sunday’s starting grid. He looked comfortable on the COTA track, and he has a tremendous ride, so he is worth a small-unit play.
Echo Park Automotive Grand Prix prop pick
JORDAN TAYLOR TOP-10 FINISH (+175)
Again, Taylor is in the No. 9 this week for Elliott and that car has had a great road-course setup. Of course, it also helps that Elliott, when healthy, is one of the best road course drivers on the circuit. Still, at least in practice and qualifying, Taylor flashed some amazing speed and skill, and doesn’t look like just your ordinary fill-in. He was fast, and among the best in both sessions. He is worth taking a chance on at plus-money for a top-10 run.
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