The dust has begun to settle, firm favourites have emerged, and it has become clear where the main money is in the race to predict the winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Athens. After an initial period where odds were changing quite rapidly, trends are appearing which may give either hope or fear to certain delegations at the level of confidence being placed in their predicted result!
The latest odds for the international final winner from PaddyPower.com install Greece, the host nation, as a firm favourite to win with odds of 5/2 – some would say unsurprisingly, given the extent of performer Anna Vissi's stardom both at home and beyond Greece. Fellow superstar Carola is hot on her heels in a shared second place with Romania, paying out at 7/1 if either wins the final. Carola is one of only three acts from the qualifier round being tipped as one of the top ten most likely to win the international final. No surprise, then, that she tops the betting as the most likely winner of the semifinal at 3/1.
Cause for concern?
Second-timer Fabrizio Faniello may have cause to worry as he slumps from the top ten in the odds to joint 11th with FYR Macedonia (which has itself jumped up!) on lengthened odds of 20/1. Supporters should bear in mind, however, that odds are not only based on expert opinion, but also the amount of public confidence (and therefore money!) being placed on each entry, and so-called outsiders have won the contest in many a year. The rank outsiders, including big-four country France, will pay out a lucrative 100/1 on a victory considered a real surprise by punters and experts alike.
Full odds for the final
The full odds from PaddyPower.com for winning the final are as follows, as of Sunday 2nd April:
Greece – 5/2
Sweden – 7/1
Romania – 7/1
Belgium – 10/1
Bosnia-Herzegovina – 12/1
United Kingom – 12/1
Germany – 14/1
Norway – 14/1
Switzerland – 14/1
Croatia – 16/1
FYR Macedonia – 20/1
Malta – 20/1
Denmark – 20/1
Finland – 22/1
Estonia – 25/1
Iceland – 25/1
Turkey – 25/1
Ireland – 28/1
Russia – 28/1
Latvia – 33/1
Ukraine – 33/1
Poland – 33/1
Cyprus – 40/1
Slovenia – 40/1
Armenia – 50/1
Netherlands – 50/1
Spain – 50/1
Belarus – 66/1
Israel – 66/1
Monaco – 66/1
Portugal – 80/1
Albania – 100/1
Andorra – 100/1
Bulgaria – 100/1
France – 100/1
Lithuania – 100/1
Moldova – 100/1
PaddyPower.com are offering a selection of other betting odds, including a group option (who will finish the highest from a group of several countries) and odds on Ireland's making the grand final on Saturday. You can see the details in full and place bets on line at PaddyPower.com's website.
Favourites similar across the field
Greece, Romania, Sweden and Belgium share similar top spots (in almost the same order) with other major bookmakers SkyBet, William Hill and Coral. Only with William Hill does Carola slip slightly to joint fourth favourite with the United Kingdom on 9/1.
Anything can (and will change) in the world of bookmaking and predictions, and no doubt delegations will be keeping an eye on the odds to gauge public confidence in their respective entries!
