Carola has been declared the favourite to win a third Swedish ticket to the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest in Athens. That is the view of Svenska Spel, the Swedish betting company. with odds of 5/1, she heads the pack. In second place, with odds of 6/1 is fellow melodifestivalen veteran, Magnus Carlsson at 6/1, with joint third favourites Linda Bengtzing (MF05) and Jessica Andersson (Fame, ESC04) at 7/1.

Eurovision Song Contest winner, Carola, is aiming for her third appearance at the event. She placed 3rd as a sixteen year old in 1983 with the song Framling and returned in 1991 to win the crown with Fangad ad ven stormvind. Fifteen years on and she finds herself leading the race for the honour or representing her home country again, with odds of 5/1, although the semifinals of Melodidfestivalen don't start for another two weeks.

Second placed Magnus Carlsson at 6/1 was third in last year's Melodifestivalen (MF) with the group Alcazar, a position they achieved in 2003 as well. He participated previously with the group Barbados but has yet to win the event and represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. It is often the case in Sweden that artists must try several times before being given the honour of winning MF. Recent artists such as Lena Philipsson had been trying to win the event for up to twenty years before finally reaching their goal. Perhaps the public will finally allow Magnus to go forward after serving his MF time.

In joint third place with odds of 7/1, are Linda Bengtzing and Jessica Andersson. Both have strong Melodifestivalen pedigrees. Linda Bengzing made her debut last year, reaching the final through the second chance round, giving her three live MF appearances. Jessica Andersson won MF03 as one half of the duo Fame. They went on to win a respectable fifth place at the Eurovision Song Contest and returned the following year to finish fifth at MF04. The other half of the group, Magnus Backlund, is also entering MF this year, but is less fancied at 20/1.

Hottly tipped Bodies without organs are placed in joint fifth with odds of 10/1. Kayo, who represented Sweden as part of the group Afro-dite in 2002 and returned to the MF03 final is rated as as a 14/1 chance, one point ahead of 1985 Eurovision Song Contest entrant Kikki Danielsson.

The full list of betting odds are:

5/1 Evighet – Carola
6/1 Lev livet – Magnus Carlsson
7/1 Jag ljuger så bra – Linda Bengtzing
7/1 Kalla nätter – Jessica Andersson
10/1 Faller du så faller jag – Patrik Isaksson
10/1 Temple Of Love – Bodies Without Organs
14/1 Innan natten är över – Kayo
15/1 Idag & imorgon – Kikki Danielsson
15/1 Etymon – Sonya
18/1 Sing For Me – Andreas Johnson
18/1 Silverland – Roger Pontare
20/1 Night Of Passion – The Poodles
20/1 Jag tar det jag vill ha – Sandra Dahlberg
20/1 Naughty Boy – Hannah Graaf
20/1 This Woman – Anna Sahlene
20/1 The Name Of Love – Magnus Bäcklund
25/1 En droppe regn – Niklas Wahlgren
30/1 Kameleont – Electric Banana Band
30/1 When Love�s Comin� Back Again – Jessica Folcker
30/1 Ge mig en kaka till kaffet – Östen med resten
30/1 Mi amore – Velvet
40/1 Älskar du livet – Björn Kjellman
40/1 Aiayeh (The Music Of The Samba) – Simone Moreno
50/1 Like Fire Tonight – Günther & The Sunshine Girls
50/1 Under Your Spell – Evan
60/1 Mama Take Me Home – Rednex
60/1 Don�t Try To Stop Me – Laila Adele
75/1 Mi amor – Gregor Michaj
75/1 Golden Star – Elysion
75/1 Kuddkrig – Pandang
100/1 La chica de la copa – Pablo Cepeda
100/1 Oh Yeah – The Elephantz

Following last year's disappointing 19th place, Sweden will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest Semifinal on May 18th in Athens