Odds Monitor : Could this be the lucky ten tonight?

by Richard West-Soley 5,857 views

Bookmakers have another chance to prove their mettle tonight, as ten more qualifiers will be picked from the second Eurovision semifinal in Lisbon.
On Tuesday, they did moderately well, predicting seven of the ten qualifiers. However, this was a slip on their record of nine out of ten in the previous two years.
Following today’s dress rehearsals, there has been some change-around in the top ten to qualify this evening. Not at the top, mind – Norway, Sweden, Moldova and Ukraine seem set in stone, continuing to attract a lot of confidence.

Australia at odds

Australia, on the other hand, looks to be struggling. Jessica Mauboy slips to eighth most likely qualifier in the odds, after enjoying as high a third favourite previously. This is reflected in Australia’s odds to win too, drifting from the top five to the mid-teens since Eurovision fortnight began.
Netherlands also slips down into ninth right before tonight’s show, after seeming stable around the middle of the top ten for most of the week.

Romanian hope?

There is better news for Romania right before the show starts. After battling to make the top ten at all, The Humans finally appear at the bottom of the safe zone, edging out Latvia. Will their presentation tonight impress voters as much as the betting punters?
Currently, the top ten in the odds to qualify are:
  1. Norway
  2. Sweden
  3. Moldova
  4. Ukraine
  5. Denmark
  6. Poland
  7. Hungary
  8. Australia
  9. Netherlands
  10. Romania
According to the odds, the unlucky eight will be Malta (rising to the heartbreak eleventh spot today), Latvia, Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, Georgia, Montenegro and San Marino.
Will we see a closer match than Tuesday night? Or will this year continue to throw up more than the usual share of surprises?