The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue this weekend with the first race of the Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is a 267-lap, 400-mile race on the 1.5-mile intermediate quad-oval track. The race will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 24, and will be broadcasted by USA Network.
Who are the favorites to win the race?
According to DraftKings, the betting favorite for the race is Kyle Larson, who has +500 odds to win his sixth race of the season. Larson has been dominant on intermediate tracks this year, winning four of the seven races on 1.5-mile ovals. He also finished second in this race last year and has four top-five finishes in 14 starts at Texas.
Denny Hamlin is the second favorite with +750 odds to win his third race of the season and his first at Texas. Hamlin is the points leader entering the Round of 12 and has been consistent throughout the playoffs, finishing in the top five in all three races of the Round of 16. He also has six top-five finishes in 30 starts at Texas, including a runner-up finish in 2019.
Brad Keselowski is the third favorite with +800 odds to win his second race of the season and his second at Texas. Keselowski won this race in 2018 and has nine top-five finishes in 25 starts at Texas. He also finished third in the last race at Las Vegas, another intermediate track.
Who are the underdogs to watch out for?
Christopher Bell and William Byron are both tied for the fourth-best odds with +850 to win their second race of the season and their first at Texas. Bell won the Daytona road course race in February and has been impressive on intermediate tracks, finishing fourth at Atlanta and fifth at Kansas. He also finished third in this race last year as a rookie.
Byron won at Homestead in March and has been one of the most consistent drivers this season, scoring 15 top-10 finishes in 29 races. He also finished fourth in this race in 2019 and sixth in 2020.
Another underdog to watch out for is Ryan Blaney, who has +1000 odds to win his third race of the season and his first at Texas. Blaney won two races in the regular season at Atlanta and Michigan, both intermediate tracks. He also finished fifth in this race last year and has four top-10 finishes in 11 starts at Texas.
Who are the drivers on the bubble for the playoffs?
The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is the first of three races in the Round of 12, which will eliminate four drivers from the playoffs. The current standings entering the round are as follows:
- Denny Hamlin (+64 points above cutline)
- Kyle Larson (+57)
- Martin Truex Jr. (+36)
- Ryan Blaney (+28)
- Kyle Busch (+25)
- Chase Elliott (+22)
- William Byron (+19)
- Joey Logano (+10)
- Brad Keselowski (-10 points below cutline)
- Christopher Bell (-13)
- Kevin Harvick (-16)
- Alex Bowman (-18)
The drivers who are most in danger of being eliminated are Keselowski, Bell, Harvick, and Bowman, who are all below the cutline entering the round. They will need to perform well at Texas and avoid any mistakes or bad luck to stay alive in the playoffs.
Keselowski is a former winner at Texas and has been strong on intermediate tracks this season, but he also has been inconsistent and prone to errors, such as spinning out at Bristol last week.
Bell is a rising star who has shown speed and potential on intermediate tracks, but he also lacks experience and has been involved in several accidents this season.
Harvick is a nine-time winner at Texas and a former champion, but he also has been struggling to find speed and performance this season, failing to win a single race so far.
Bowman is a three-time winner this season and a teammate of Larson and Byron, but he also has been inconsistent and unlucky, suffering from mechanical issues and crashes in several races.
Who will win the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400?
Based on the web search results, it seems that Kyle Larson is the most likely winner of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, given his dominance on intermediate tracks this season and his strong record at Texas. He also has a lot of playoff points to cushion him from any mishaps and can afford to be aggressive and go for the win.
However, NASCAR is unpredictable and anything can happen in a 400-mile race. Other drivers who have a good chance of winning are Hamlin, Keselowski, Bell, and Byron, who have been fast and consistent on intermediate tracks and have shown the ability to win races this season.
Ultimately, the winner of the race will depend on several factors, such as strategy, pit stops, cautions, restarts, and luck. The race will also have a lot of drama and intensity, as the drivers will be fighting for every point and position to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
ALSO READ: NASCAR Cup Series, September 24: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Preview
