Bookies’ Roundup 2021 : 9/10 on the First Semi Scorecard

by Richard West-Soley 21,493 views

Bookies’ odds can be a great barometer of song support in Eurovision, although sometimes it is less hit, more miss. Not so tonight, as aggregate odds on qualification just before the show predicted nine out of ten qualifiers.

The bookmakers’ ranking of qualifiers was as follows before curtain-up:

1. Malta
2. Lithuania
3. Cyprus
4. Ukraine
5. Russia
6. Sweden
7. Norway
8. Croatia
9. Belgium
10. Azerbaijan
11. Romania
12. Israel
13. Australia
14. Ireland
15. Slovenia
16. North Macedonia

The list had seen a little movement around the number ten cut-off on Monday, with Romania briefly slipping into the qualifiers. However, by the start of the show, Belgium was favoured in its place, clinching that ninth correct prediction.

Bookies had Israel down as a near miss in 12th – in the end, Eden Alene confounded expectations and sailed through to Saturday’s final, while Croatia missed out.

Bookies’ Favourites to Win

Notably, no big favourites to win have been lost yet – an unpleasant surprise Eurovision fans are all too familiar with. But as ever, the aftershocks of semifinal success are felt in the favourite-to-win tables. After a rousing crowd response in Rotterdam and a golden ticket to Saturday, Malta‘s Destiny is now working her way back up the favourites table. Je me casse now sits back in second favourite position behind Italy and ahead of France.

Ukraine too benefits from a good showing, leaping up to fifth – formerly Cyprus‘ spot, which, despite passing to the final, drifts to eighth favourite.

Things will continue to change as finalists draw their final starting position – first or second half – in the press conferences. As things stand, this is now the list of favourites:

1. Italy
2. Malta
3. France
4. Iceland
5. Ukraine
6. Bulgaria
7. Switzerland
8. Cyprus
9. Lithuania
10. Russia