As ever, I will be keeping a close and beady eye on the market movers and shakers and provide my sage summarised comments. We have another open contest this year which is another way of saying I haven't a clue really. The last couple of years haven't been kind to me so I approach this page with unprecendented amounts of caution. After the surest of sure things came a cropper last year, everyone is rightly nervous about sticking the colours to the bunting too early. Fun filled Netta from ISrael is the early pace setter, but it's a bit of nonsense, and it's Israel & therefore somewhat a leap of faith. Those party crashers the Aussies once again find themselves in the Top 3 in the betting, which is once again perplexing. After that I can make a case for a few but pre-rehearsals nothing is standing out. 2017: My tips Italy (Win 4/1 - 6th) So what do I reckon? As usual it's a crap shoot, but good luck in your random acts of betting... |
Average Odds |
Notes |
|
Israel | 7/4 |
Bookies suggest it's already a done deal. She's perky, it's loads of fun, there's waving cats, but it's Israel... |
Bulgaria | 6/1 |
Over produced, over stylised, over sung, & over here. WIll it create European harmony? I'm not sure. |
Australia | 8/1 |
What is all this Aussie obsession about? Is it simply cos they're so far away? It's not down to the song |
France | 8/1 |
Will get oodles of guilty votes and a fair few for the song. It's going up in my estimation, particularly when tipsy. |
Czech Rep | 9/1 |
Will Timberfake 's back hold up? How can the Czechs be this far up the leaderboard? Who's camel is it? |
Estonia | 10/1 |
Popera shocker with a dress which has re-mortgaged the Estonian Treasury. Simply not worth it. |
Norway | 16/1 |
The grinning imp with the violin is back, and this time he's got a violin and is grinning. That's progress. |
Sweden | 20/1 |
A woeful MF year, so Swedish hopes aren't soaring. Maybe it's why Abba are recording new material? |
Greece | 33/1 |
Ethno claptrap but rousing nonetheless, & likely to be in safe Greek hands even on a restricted budget. |
Spain | 33/1 |
Utterly baffling odds. 2 adolescents going at each other from a foot apart. Without any merit. Unclassified mark |
Belgium | 33/1 |
More uber cool from the Belgians, a Pierce Brosnan theme tune which frankly were ropey the 1st time aorund |
Italy | 40/1 |
The most BPM's in 2018 but somehow has managed to avoid being a toe tapper. Peculiar mouth music. |
Finland | 40/1 |
Now we're talking. Full on pop, nothing clever about it, just one big romp. Could easily bely these odds. |
Austria | 40/1 |
Gospel soul isn't your staple ESC choice, & although relative quality is there, likely to sink with little trace |
Netherlands | 50/1 |
I saw these odds & was overwhelmed by a senior moment. More C&W filth in a 10 pint of piss hat. Rotten |
Cyprus | 66/1 |
Vacuous, cheesy, as overtly sexual as you can get away with in a family show. So worth a look. |
Lithuania | 66/1 |
Low key ballard fayre which takes you back to the 80's when everything was beige and Lithuania didn't exist |
Portugal | 66/1 |
It appears the hosts have put all their effort into hosting. |
Belarus | 80/1 |
Now here's one for the vault. All manner of welcome craziness from the biggest mouth around. Much fun. |
Ukraine | 80/1 |
When it comes to musicians with a funky eye, I'll stick with Thom Yorke. More Ukrainian myopia. |
Germany | 100/1 |
Tugs at the heart strings, just wish he wasn't a ginger. |
Russia | 100/1 |
How the mighty fall. You know this is gash when a Russian paraplegic is this far down the odds. Leak time |
UK | 150/1 |
Less of the unfortunate arm gestures please, what with the blond hair it doesn't project quite right. |
Moldova | 150/1 |
Utter tripe of course, it's Moldova, but I'm becoming indoctrinated to the charming idiocy they supply annually. |
Armenia | 200/1 |
Ballardy balls, will qualify, won't win, same as every year. |
Azerbaijan | 200/1 |
I actually see this as beating the above as it's a bit more jaunty. Still tripe though. |
Latvia | 200/1 |
Too far down the betting if you ask me. Not a stunner by any means but listenable, and from Latvia. Shock. |
Hungary | 200/1 |
If you're one for hard rock then can I recommend a lovely basalt column. |
FYROM | 200/1 |
Much bang for your buck. 3 songs in one, and one of them is a cracker. It's the other 2 that worry me. |
Ireland | 250/1 |
Utter garbage but has a LGBT tolerance message which has somehow shrouded the true awfulness of it all. |
Serbia | 250/1 |
I've forgotten it already. |
Poland | 250/1 |
A dad pop rock type outfit, which inexplicably did OK last year for Norway so god only knows. |
Croatia | 300/1 |
A touch of spoken rap in the middle doesn't help what was already a partial basket case. Crazy. |
Romania | 300/1 |
Goodbye. |
Albania | 300/1 |
Pity me, I had the 5 minute full version on my playlist by accident. Will likely be a mass of black despondency. |
Malta | 300/1 |
Blazing a trail for mental health awareness, well at least for 3 minutes on Tuesday anyway. |
Switzerland | 300/1 |
Slightly surprising this is so far down the batting order, but then again the Swiss present like a babbling idiot. |
Georgia | 300/1 |
Harmony is a wonderful thing...normally. This is just m'eh, so send in the gun boats. |
Iceland | 500/1 |
Good lord this is woeful. Are they finally running out of options? |
Slovenia | 500/1 |
Repetitive Repetitive Repetitive. |
Montenegro | 500/1 |
I never remembered it in the first place. |
San Marino | 500/1 |
They've bought in some Maltese talent, so based on that draw your own conclusions. |