This weekend’s NASCAR action at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is getting a serious facelift. The track layout is shrinking from 3.41 miles to 2.3 miles, keeping all 20 turns but chopping off the long backstretch. Translation? More fan visibility, less full-throttle cruising, and an added challenge for drivers with 95 laps in Sunday’s Cup Series race and 65 laps in Saturday’s Xfinity Series event.

Drivers are treating this as a whole new beast, with extended practice time on Saturday to get a grip—literally. And just to spice things up, Goodyear is rolling out a new tire that’s expected to wear faster, meaning strategy is going to be king. Buckle up because unpredictability is the name of the game at COTA this weekend.

 

 

 

EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Best Bets: Winner Predictions

Shane Van Gisbergen (+550 FanDuel Sportsbook)

There’s a reason SVG is the favorite. The guy is a road course assassin, no matter what kind of car you put him in. Now a full-time Cup Series driver for Trackhouse Racing, he’s here to do one thing: DOMINATE. The new track layout plays right into his hands—less straight-line speed and more technical turns, exactly where he thrives. He finished 2nd at Watkins Glen, led 21 laps at the Charlotte Roval, and oh yeah, won in Chicago in his first-ever Cup start. If you’re looking for a favorite worth the hype, SVG is your guy.

Tyler Reddick (+800 DraftKings Sportsbook)

Reddick has turned COTA into his personal playground. Three races here, three top-three finishes, and one win. Oh, and he has the highest driver rating (123.5) in those races. If consistency is king, Reddick is sitting on the throne. And it’s not just COTA—in his last 10 road course races, he’s posted 7 top-10s and 3 top-3s, leading 131 laps. The guy knows how to wheel it around a road course, and the new layout isn’t phasing him one bit.

Chase Elliott (+1300 FanDuel Sportsbook)

For a while, road courses and Chase Elliott went together like peanut butter and jelly. While he hasn’t been as dominant lately, he still has two top-5s in his last three COTA starts. He won here in 2021, finished 4th in 2022, but had a rough outing last year, ending up 16th. The new layout has been compared to Sonoma, where Chase has been a monster (4th, 5th, 8th, and 2nd in his last four starts there). Don’t sleep on him.

 

 

 

Mid-Range Picks: Value Bets to Watch

Ty Gibbs (+1800 DraftKings Sportsbook)

This kid can drive. In his only two Cup races at COTA, he’s posted an average finish of 6.0. Yes, he had some struggles at road courses last season, but a lot of that was due to DNFs. He finished 3rd here last year and also grabbed top-5s at Charlotte Roval and Watkins Glen. With another year of experience under his belt, expect big things.

Alex Bowman (+2000 BetRivers)

If you’re looking for consistency at COTA, Bowman has been that guy. He’s got three top-3 finishes in his last three races here with a driver rating of 108.8. His last four finishes here? 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 8th. If you want a mid-range play with legit winning upside, this is your man.

Chris Buescher (+2500 DraftKings Sportsbook)

Let’s talk about consistency. No one has a better average finish across the 17 road and street course races in the Next Gen era than Buescher. We’re talking 13 top-10s (76.5%). And remember how this course is being compared to Sonoma? He’s got three straight top-5s there. Oh, and he won at Watkins Glen last year. Value alert.
 

 

 

Long Shot Winners: High Upside, Big Payouts

Michael McDowell (+3700 FanDuel Sportsbook)

McDowell is another road course ace. He’s sitting just behind Buescher in road course consistency, with 10 top-10s in 17 starts on these tracks in the Next Gen era. He won at Indy Road Course, finished 2nd at Sonoma, and has shown he can get it done on technical tracks. The big question is how he’ll perform in his new Spire equipment, but if history tells us anything, he’s got the talent to be a factor.

Joey Logano (+6000 BetMGM)

You want a wild card? Here it is. When it comes to new tracks, nobody adapts better than Logano. He won at the LA Coliseum, he won at Bristol Dirt, and now we have a fresh COTA layout. Oh, and let’s not forget he led at Sonoma last year and finished 3rd. While his recent COTA results haven’t been great, he did snag a top-3 finish in 2021. If you’re looking for a big payday, Joey’s your guy.

 

 

 

EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Props: Smart Money Plays

Chris Buescher Top-10 Finish (+100 DraftKings Sportsbook)

This one feels like stealing. Since the start of 2022, there have been 15 road course races. Buescher has finished top-10 in 12 of them. You’re getting plus money on one of the best road course drivers in the field? Yes, please.

Tyler Reddick Top-5 Finish (+125 BetRivers)

Three straight top-5s at COTA. Three road course wins since 2022. One of the highest-rated drivers on these types of tracks. What else do you need to hear? Lock it in.


 

 

 

EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Final Thoughts

With a brand-new layout, a fresh tire compound, and some serious road course talent in the field, COTA is set to deliver chaos in the best way possible. Whether you’re rolling with the favorites like SVG and Reddick, looking for value in Bowman and Gibbs, or swinging for the fences with Logano, there’s plenty of betting action to go around.

Buckle up—this one’s gonna be fun!