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NASCAR Cup Series drivers will attack the Circuit of the Americas for the first time when the green flag drops on the inaugural 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at the 3.4-mile track just outside of Austin, Texas. The nine-year-old track, which has hosted Formula One and IndyCar, is hosting NASCAR's top series for the first time. Drivers got their first look at the 20-turn venue on Saturday during a rainy 55-minute practice session. Road race ace Chase Elliott is listed as the 8-5 favorite in the latest 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while Martin Truex Jr. is the 7-2 second choice.

Denny Hamlin (10-1), Kyle Busch (12-1) and Kyle Larson (15-1) round out the top five 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix contenders. The race, which is NASCAR's first at COTA, is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET. You'll want to check out the NASCAR at Austin predictions from Micah Roberts, the legendary Vegas bookmaker who pioneered wagering on racing, before locking in any 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix picks.

Roberts is the nation's premier NASCAR betting expert, and his top pick, Brad Keselowski, won the GEICO 500 less than four weeks ago at 14-1 odds. He also correctly predicted the first two races of the 2020 season. In the season-opening Daytona 500 last year, he nailed Denny Hamlin's win at 10-1 odds, and he hit Joey Logano at 13-2 odds in the Pennzoil 400 a week later.

Last May, Roberts nailed Hamlin's victory in the Toyota 500, even though he wasn't one of the top three favorites. He also enjoyed success the previous year, as his top four choices in each race during the 2019 NASCAR season returned a head-turning $3,400 to those who put down $50 on each. In the 2021 campaign, Roberts has correctly predicted at least six top-10 finishers in seven of the last nine races. Anyone who has followed his picks is up huge year after year.

Now, Roberts has analyzed the field and odds for Sunday's NASCAR at Austin 2021 race. He's sharing his winner and leaderboard right here.

2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix expert picks

One shocker: Roberts is completely fading Austin Cindric, even though he's one of the top favorites and the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. A driver for Team Penske, Cindric has dominated the Xfinity Series over the last year. In 2020, he won six races en route to earning the series championship. This year, he already has three wins through the first 10 races.

However the 22-year-old has not yet had the same success in the Cup Series. As a rookie in the Cup, he has failed to crack the top 10 in five Cup starts. He is coming off a 22nd place finish in the Buschy McBusch Race 400 on May 2.

Another curveball: Roberts is bullish on Christopher Bell, even though he is a 20-1 long shot. A 26-year-old driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, Bell has one win, two top-fives and five top-10 finishes this season. He enters Sunday's 2021 NASCAR at Austin race in a bit of a slump, finishing outside of the top 10 in four straight races.

But his lone victory this season came in the season's only other road race thus far, at Daytona. "That has to count for something," Roberts told SportsLine.

How to make 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix predictions

Roberts is also high on a long shot who "has been his best this season" with this week's race package. This driver is being underestimated by oddsmakers, and anyone who backs him could hit it big. You can only see who it is here.

So who wins the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix 2021? And which long shot stuns NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2021 NASCAR at Austin leaderboard from the nation's premier NASCAR handicapper, and find out.

2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix odds

Chase Elliott 8-5
Martin Truex Jr. 7-2
Denny Hamlin 10-1
Kyle Busch 12-1
Kyle Larson 15-1
Ryan Blaney 17-1
Joey Logano 18-1
Austin Cindric 18-1
Kevin Harvick 20-1
Brad Keselowski 20-1
Christopher Bell 20-1
William Byron 20-1
Alex Bowman 20-1
A.J. Allmendinger 22-1
Kurt Busch 30-1
Michael McDowell 60-1
Matt DiBenedetto 75-1
Erik Jones 100-1
Daniel Suarez 100-1
Chase Briscoe 100-1
Cole Custer 100-1
Chris Buescher 100-1
Aric Almirola 125-1
Tyler Reddick 150-1
Austin Dillon 150-1
Ryan Newman 200-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 250-1
Bubba Wallace 300-1
Ryan Preece 300-1
Ross Chastain 500-1
Justin Haley 500-1
Ty Dillon 1000-1
James Davison 2500-1
Corey Lajoie 2500-1
Josh Bilicki 2500-1
Anthony Alfredo 2500-1
Kyle Tilley 2500-1
Garrett Smithley 5000-1
Quin Houff 5000-1
Cody Ware 5000-1