As ever, I will be keeping a close and beady eye on the market movers and shakers through Coral Eurobet, Bet365, William Hill, & Paddy Power.

2008: My tips Russia (Win 7/2 ), San Marino (to qualify for final), Lithuania (to get 0 points),
2007: My tips Greece (Win 16/1 - ), Ukraine (Win 12/1 - 2nd), Bosnia Herzegovina (Each Way 80/1 - 11th), Lithuania (Each Way 125-1 - 21st)
2006: My tips Sweden (Win 6/1 - 5th), Finland (Each Way 28/1 - 1st), FYROM (Each Way 33/1 - 12th)
2005: My tips Romania (Each Way 28/1 - 3rd), Malta (Each Way 11/1 - 2nd), Austria (Each Way 100/1 - 35th)
2004: My tips Ukraine (Win 8/1 - 1st), Serbia (Each Way 6/1 - 2nd), FYROM (Each Way 28/1 - 14th)

So what do I reckion from the off? My wise and contemplative Eurofan colleagues seem to be thinking of the usual suspects this year, namely the Russian Bear, the Serbian Wolf, the Swedish Elk, and the Ukrainian dog. The Armenian..I don't know their animal (mole?) is a surprising addition the bokies favourites list, and the Irish bookies have put laughably woeful odds on their entrant. Of the bigger odds I would plump for the likes of Bosnia (again), Poland, San Marino, Switzerland, and my second fave, Norway. More than previous years there seems to be a shortlist of strong support which is unlikely to change until the Thursday night, if at all. The key is timing though, as we won't really know for sure who will win up until the dress rehearsals start at the beginning of May. Until then though, garner useless tips here...

Odds from a selection of online bookmakers - dated 18th May 2008
 
Coral
Notes
bet365
William Hill
Paddy Power
Sweden
12/1
Power schlager of cheesiest kind. Have they enough friends?
7/1
9/1
8/1
Switzerland
40/1
Reasonable ballards. Can Italian put up a fight?
55/1
66/1
25/1
Belarus
40/1
Are Belarus the new Croatia? Mid table obscurity beckons.
200/1
125/1
100/1
Bulgaria
10/1
A 1 minute intro won't help. Should qualify though.
25/1
25/1
20/1
Russia
3/1
The year that the Great Russian Bear finally bears its teeth
11/4
3/1
10/3
Serbia
9/2
Ethnic clap-trap, with the originality of a Police Academy sequel
9/2
5/1
5/1
Greece
12/1
A young Greek girl pretending to be a woman. Fails in final
10/1
14/1
14/1
Ukraine
7/1
V.well thought of, but doesn't float my boat. Possible top five.
11/2
6/1
8/1
Romania
28/1
Dark horse. Ballard with big black hair. e/w?
33/1
25/1
33/1
Cyprus
100/1
Generic & dull. Avoid
250/1
150/1
150/1
Slovenia
80/1
The most boring nation in Euroland doesn't let us down
125/1
66/1
66/1
Denmark
80/1
Filthy song and a waste of a nice cloth cap. Dreadful.
150/1
50/1
80/1
France
100/1
Super pretension in a buggy. No chance, but delights.
85/1
50/1
66/1
Israel
50/1
A bacofoil man sounding like a girl with bronchitis. Not good.
80/1
100/1
50/1
UK
66/1
Weight of a nation causing rubber hips. Doomed to 17th-21st
75/1
66/1
50/1
Latvia
20/1
Quirky is generous. Tacky is realistic. Non qualifier I feel
40/1
33/1
25/1
Finland
40/1
Hard rock won't work this year, Finns. Chronic
80/1
80/1
66/1
Malta
66/1
Brassy fun. May annoy the Ruskies. Finalist, but no more.
66/1
80/1
50/1
Turkey
25/1
Solid rock pretensions, and always get diaspora vote. Top 5?
25/1
25/1
25/1
Hungary
50/1
Should qualify but no more. Good vocals are key.
75/1
100/1
150/1
Moldova
125/1
Jazz isn't ESC. And this isn't good. Still, nice try.
300/1
150/1
250/1
Spain
25/1
What can I say? Who's to know? Last or top five? Don't ask me
22/1
25/1
20/1
Andorra
80/1
Line her up against the wall and go "boom boom boom".
150/1
100/1
66/1
Georgia
25/1
Blind robot appeals for peace, but will fall on deaf ears.
75/1
66/1
50/1
Germany
100/1
Awful girl band has-beens vying for last with other big three.
125/1
66/1
50/1
Bosnia
25/1
Most of wacky vote should head Laka's way. Should qualify
20/1
25/1
25/1
Ireland
7/1
Losing popurlaity by day. Awful obviously, but should get thru
18/1
16/1
8/1
FYROM
150/1
Tragic, but of course will qualify and finish about 12th
250/1
100/1
250/1
Norway
50/1
Cracking ditty, but too soft to trouble the podium. Top ten
45/1
33/1
40/1
Iceland
50/1
Solid euro-dance and may nip into top five. Dark horse
45/1
50/1
50/1
Czech Rep
125/1
Crap tune, lots of lady flesh won't ultimately help. Home early
250/1
150/1
250/1
Armenia
5/1
Well thought of. Top five. I dislike it, so can't be recommended
11/2
6/1
5/1
Belgium
100/1
Avoid. The devil's work
125/1
100/1
50/1
Croatia
125/1
Geriatric crap rap in a folk styley. May qualify , but don't invest
66/1
50/1
100/1
Estonia
50/1
Words fail me.
175/1
125/1
150/1
Lithuania
150/1
Best chance of a nil pointer in the Semi's. Strong novelty bet
250/1
150/1
250/1
Poland
100/1
Strongish ballard, but some doubts over voice.
125/1
125/1
66/1
Netherlands
150/1
Me no like
250/1
150/1
150/1
Albania
66/1
Lovely young thing may scrape into final.
100/1
66/1
100/1
Montenegro
125/1
Awful
250/1
150/1
250/1
Portugal
66/1
Best voice but not best song. May qualify but no glory
45/1
33/1
50/1
Azerbaijan
50/1
Unusual to say the least. Into final but more hell than heaven
66/1
50/1
66/1
San Marino
200/1
It won't win, but is the best value outsider to qualify.
300/1
150/1
200/1