Visit The Industry’s Best

Handicapping Membership
For More NASCAR Picks!

Get Free Trial

On Sunday, March 2, NASCAR’s Cup Series will take to road course racing for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. This event, which is the third race of the regular season, emanates live from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Also known as COTA, Sunday’s race is the earliest point of the season that NASCAR has ever run at this venue.

Last weekend, Christopher Bell held on in the final laps to win the Ambetter Health 400 from Atlanta. This weekend, he enters as one of the odds-on favorites to win the COTA NASCAR race.

Joining bell as betting favorites are Shan Van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch, William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott. 

With that said, let’s take a look at the latest EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix odds and make our NASCAR picks for this weekend’s NASCAR at COTA race.

2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Race Profile

The Circuit of the Americas first opened in 2012, and has been home to many different races spanning several disciplines like Formula One ant MotoGP. NASCAR didn’t enter the picture until 2021.

For the first four years, NASCAR ran the full 3.42-mile road course. However, the organization made a change for 2025 and beyond, by moving to the modified course with a lap distance of 2.35 miles and 18 turns.

Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix breaks down as follows:

• Total Miles: 325 miles
• Total Laps: 95 laps
• Stage 1: 20 laps
• Stage 2: 45 laps
• Final Stage: 30 laps

The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix begins at 3:30pm ET on FOX.

Previous EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Winners

Since COTA wasn’t added to the NASCAR Cup Series circuit until 2021, there has only been four races total. Over that span, we’ve seen four different winners with three of them driving for Chevrolet and one for Toyota. The following is a list of the previous winners:

• 2024: William Byron
• 2023: Tyler Reddick
• 2022: Ross Chastain
• 2021: Chase Elliott

NASCAR COTA Odds

Check out the latest NASCAR at COTA odds:

NASCAR at COTA Favorites

The following drivers are considered by sportsbooks to be the odds-on favorites to win the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix:

Shane Van Gisbergen +500

• Driver Standings: 34
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 0
• Top 10: 0             

Shane Van Gisbergen enters this weekend’s race as the betting favorite. However, he currently sits 34^th in the Driver Standings and has yet to crack the Top 20 this season so far.

SVG is one of the most talented road-course drivers, but his only COTA appearance saw him finish 20^th last year. Yet, due to his history on the road course, oddsmakers are willing to overlook his recent struggles at COTA and list him at the top of the boards.

The Trackhouse Racing driver is certainly one to consider, I just have a hard time jumping on the favorite for this race even if his only Cup Series win was on a road course.

I need to see SVG compete for a checkered flag this season before I can consider him worthy of a wager.

Connor Zilisch +700

• Driver Standings: NA
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 0
• Top 10: 0

The 18-year-old Connor Zilisch is making his Cup Series debut on a course that many believe he can find success at over the weekend. Zilisch will compete in both NASCAR races at COTA and is favored to win the Xfinity Series race.

I think Zilisch has a better shot at the Xfinity Series race than he does in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race for the Cup Series.

It’s crazy to think that oddsmakers would instill Zilisch this high on the betting boards considering he has just six Xfinity Series races under his belt and has never competed in the Cup Series before. I would avoid the youngster for this race. His Top 5 and Top 10 odds are overvalued as well.

William Byron +750

• Driver Standings: 2^nd
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 1
• Top 10: 1

William Byron is the defending COTA winner for the Cup Series and currently sits second in the standings. The #24 car started the season off with a win in the Daytona 500, which was his second consecutive victory of NASCAR’s beloved event.

Byron has been a strong performer at COTA in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series events. However, just looking at his Cup Series stats, we see that Byron has one win, two Top 5s, two Top 10s, four Top 12s, and a 7.3 average finish in four Cup starts at COTA.

In particular, Byron has a 3.0 average finish at COTA over the last two Cup races at this track and led laps in both of them. I think Byron will be a contender for the checkered flag this weekend. I also think he’s a contender to win the Xfinity Series race at COTA as well.

Tyler Reddick +750

• Driver Standings: 3^rd
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 1
• Top 10: 1

Tyler Reddick started off the season with a 2^nd place finish at Daytona. Unfortunately, he could only manage a 19^th spot in Atlanta last weekend. He currently sits third in the standings.

With that said, Reddick is a legit contender for the race win on Sunday. He won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in 2023, and is the only reason why Chevy hasn’t swept all four years at this track.

In four starts at COTA, Reddick has one win, three Top 5s, four Top 9s, and a 5.0 average finish. He’s cracked the Top 5 in three consecutive races at this track. I see no reason to think he can’t do it again. Reddick is a Top 10 driver with a race-winning ceiling.

Christopher Bell +1000   

• Driver Standings: 12^th
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 1
• Top 10: 1

I wasn’t surprised to see that Christopher Bell had won the NASCAR Atlanta race last weekend. He was my choice as the top Toyota driver for the race. However, I am slightly surprised that Bell is listed this high on the betting boards considering he has an 18.5 average finish at COTA.

In four COTA starts, Bell has two Top 3 finishes and two DNFs. He’s alternated between DNF and Top 3 over his Cup Series career at this venue. If we keep with his trend, then Bell is poised for another DNF.

Maybe he’s able to break the trend, but I doubt he contends for the checkered flag this weekend. I believe there are other drivers more desperate for a win and have had plenty of success on the road courses. At best, Bell is a Top 10 driver this weekend.

Chase Elliott +1000

• Driver Standings: 10^th
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 0
• Top 10: 0

Will the real Chase Elliott please stand up? The #9 car has been one of the best road course drivers in the Cup Series over his career. And, yet, he’s been disappointing over the last year or two in these road races.

Elliott missed the 2023 COTA race, so he only has three appearances at this track. He won this race in 2021, followed it up with a 4^th in 2022, missed 2023, and finished 16^th last year. That result was indicative of his struggles for the 2024 season.

Elliott still has a 7.0 average finish at COTA, but he needs to regain his mojo as the top road course driver for the Cup Series. At least until someone can knock him off the top of the mountain.

I believe Elliott will be a Top 10 car on Sunday and maybe crack the Top 5. However, until he wins a race, I have a hard time picking the #9 car to enter victory lane.

The Best NASCAR COTA Betting Value

The following drivers are my NASCAR picks for the best betting value in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix based on their previous success at the Circuit Of The Americas:

AJ Allmendinger +1400

• Driver Standings: 27^th
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 0
• Top 10: 0

The Road Ringer, AJ Allmendinger, is heading to COTA with a big smile on his face. Out of everyone taking the starting line on Sunday, I think Allmendinger has to be the most dangerous. If he had the high-quality cars of Hendrick, Penske or JGR, Allmendinger would be the betting favorite.

With that said, his +1400 odds to win the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix offer a ton of betting value. This is due to his body of work at COTA for both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series races.

Allmendinger has two Top 6 results in four Cup Series races. Yet, he’s dominated at COTA in the Xfinity Series. Over four starts for Xfinity, Allmendinger has two wins, three Top 2s, and four Top 10s. He’s also led laps in every Xfinity Series COTA race.

Allmendinger is highly capable of winning this weekend, but I always have concerns with his Matthew Kaulig car.

Alex Bowman +2000

• Driver Standings: 9^th
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 0
• Top 10: 1

Alex Bowman is one of my favorite drivers for the weekend. In four Cup Series COTA starts, Bowman has two Top 2s, three Top 4s, and four Top 8 finishes. His 4.3 average finish is the second best among full-time Cup Series drivers.

Although he hasn’t won at COTA, yet, Bowman is consistently one of the best drivers on this course. His three consecutive Top 4 results are proof of that. Not only do I like his race winning odds, but I absolutely love his Top 10 finishing odds, which you can read more about below.

The Top NASCAR at COTA Longshot

Joey Logano (+5000) is bet for the top longshot bet at COTA this Sunday. Although he sits 11^th in the standings and has yet to finish within the Top 10, Logano is still the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion and more than capable of pulling off the upset victory.

Logano’s best result at COTA was third in the inaugural Cup Series race of 2021. However, after two bad finishes in a row, Logano came up short of cracking the Top 10 last year when he ended up 11^th.

I think Logano is a worthy longshot bet this weekend as he’s too talented to be outright dismissed just because we’re road racing.

NASCAR at COTA Predictions

When it comes to road racing, you have to side with top road course drivers in the sport. I don’t understand how the top handicappers can side with Zilisch considering he’s making his Cup Series debut and not exactly racing with one of the elite teams. I would avoid the rising star this weekend.

As talented as SVG is on a road course, I can’t help but feel that his odds are highly overvalued for this race. He could be a Top 5 driver this weekend, but I hesitate to pick him as the race winner.

I really like Byron, Reddick, Elliott, Chastain, Bowman and Allmendinger this weekend. I would love to pick Allmendinger to win on Sunday, but his team’s cars don’t compare with what the other drivers are competing with.

I like Ross Chastain this weekend. I didn’t cover him as much above, since he was outside of the top favorites but his odds didn’t offer as much value as other drivers. Yet, I will go further into his chances below. Although I don’t have him winning on Sunday, I do think he can win on Saturday in Xfinity. I just want to see Chastain smashing watermelons.

I think this race comes down to Hendrick Motorsports’ trio of Byron, Elliott, Bowman vs. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Reddick and the outside chance of Bell.

Whenever we go to the road courses, I reactively want to pick Elliott. However, his 2024 season was such a downer that I need to see the #9 team contend for checkered flags before I can pick Elliott to win outright even though he’s still arguably the best road course driver in the field.

So, we’re now down to three. I highly doubt that Byron wins two of the first three races on the season even though I have him pegged as a real Cup Series Championship contender this year. Byron won two straight Daytona 500 races, but I don’t see him winning two consecutive EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix races.

Reddick is an absolute beast at COTA and I have no reason to think that he can’t win on Sunday. However, I am leaning towards Bowman to pick up his first win at this track. Bowman has been the best COTA driver not to have won a Cup Series race at this venue up to this point.

I also really like the value of his +2000 odds compared to Reddick at +750 odds. So, I’m siding with the value here and hoping that Reddick won’t jump up and bite me this weekend.

Bet: Alex Bowman (+2000)

NASCAR at COTA Prop Bets

The following EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix prop bets are courtesy of various sportsbooks like Bet365:

Either To Finish In The Top 3 at COTA

As you can see from above, I have Bowman and Byron as two of my Top 5 drivers. So, I’ve very confident that at least one of these drivers can finish in the Top 3, if not both of them.

Combined, these two teammates have one win, five Top 5s, and six Top 10s in eight total starts. Other than Reddick and Chastain, and maybe their teammate Elliott, Byron and Bowman have been the two best drivers at this track. So, I love the value here with these Hendrick teammates.

Bet: Bowman or Byron (+130)

The Best Top 5 Bet for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Ross Chastain (+220) is my choice for a Top 5 finish of the week. And, it’s not because others won’t finish in the Top 5 that are favored to win the race, it’s because of Chastain’s success at COTA combined with his odds.

Chastain, leads the Cup Series with a 4.0 average finish. He won this race in 2022, and has two additional Top 4s and a 7^th last year. He’s also led laps in three of the four COTA races for the Cup Series.

These odds are fantastic for one of the top COTA drivers in the Cup Series.

Bet: Ross Chastain (+220)

The Best Top 10 Bet for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Alex Bowman (+100) is a steal for this NASCAR prop bet. This is my favorite bet for the weekend. I tepidly went with Bowman to win the race over Reddick, Chastain, Byron and others. However, I’m 100% on board with this prop bet.

Bowman has the second-best average finish (4.3) among Cup Series drivers. He’s never finished outside of the Top 8 and has three consecutive Top 4 finishes. He’s the best driver to not have won at COTA and I think even money on the #48 car finishing in the Top 10 is an absolute crime. We are seriously stealing money from the sportsbooks with this one.

Bet: Alex Bowman (+100)

NASCAR COTA Driver H2H Matchups

For these NASCAR bets, you must pick which driver will have the better result in each head-to-head matchup:

Tyler Reddick (-140) vs. Connor Zilisch (+110)

By now, you have read how I feel about these two drivers. Zilisch is incredibly talented, but he’s making his Cup Series debut and I think the 18-year-old is out of his depth in this race.

I think Reddick is a legitimate contender for the checkered flag. He won this race two years ago, has two more Top 5 results, has never finished below 9^th at COTA, and has the third best average finish (5.0).

I see Reddick easily in the Top 5 and Zilisch being lucky to crack the Top 15.

Bet: Tyler Reddick (-140)

Winning Manufacturer

• Chevrolet (-225)
• Toyota (+275)
• Ford (+700)

Out of eight combined COTA races over both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, Ford has never sent a driver to victory lane. And, I don’t see that happening this weekend either.

Toyota has some legitimate contenders in Reddick and Bell. However, you would be crazy to side with anyone other than Chevrolet.

Chevy features the following drivers this weekend: Byron, Elliott, Bowman, Larson, SVG, Chastain, and Allmendinger. You pretty much are getting the best COTA drivers with Chevy. There’s no value with this bet, but it’s the smart choice.

Bet: Chevrolet (-225)

Team of Race Winner

• Trackhouse Racing (+190)
• Hendrick Motorsports (+200)
• Joe Gibbs Racing (+425)
• 23XL Racing (+700)
• Team Penske (+1200)
• Kaulig Racing (+1400)
• RFK Racing (+2000)
• Spire Motorsports (+2200)
• Richard Childress Racing (+2800)
• Front Row Motorsports (+6600)

This is where things get tough. Trackhouse is sending out SVG and Zilisch, but there are other teams with multiple drivers that can compete for the race win. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include Kaulig Racing despite Allmendinger racing for them or 23XL Racing with Reddick.

Hendrick Motorsports has three drivers that are all capable of winning this weekend (Byron, Bowman, Elliott). Joe Gibbs Racing has Bell and a young Ty Gibbs who has the 4^th best average finish at 6.0.

Hendrick Motorsports has won two of the four COTA races in the Cup Series and I believe they will pick up their third in five tries.

Bet: Hendrick Motorsports (+200)

Winning Car Number

• Over 23.5 (-115)
• Under 23.5 (-115)

I have been burned two weeks in a row going with the Under for this prop bet. So, I’m taking the Over this time around.

The Over 23.5 includes the following drivers: Byron (24), Reddick (45), Bowman (48), Gibbs (54) and SVG (88).

Although there are cars I really like Under 23.5 (Elliott, Chastain, Allmendinger), this feels like a weekend for the Over to hit as this option has more of the best COTA drivers in the Cup Series than the Under does.

Bet: Over 23.5 (-115)