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)
2016: My tips Sweden (Win 12/1 - 5th), Spain (Each Way 66/1 - 22nd)
2015: My tips Sweden (Win 12/5 -1st), Hungary (Each Way 150/1 - 20th)
2014: My tips Sweden (Win 3/1 - 3rd), Norway (Win 14/1 - 8th)
2013: My tips Russia (Win 14/1 - 5th), Netherlands (Each Way 14/1 - 9th), Spain (last place 12/1 - 25th of 26)
2012: My tips Sweden (Win 2/1 - 1st), Russia (Each Way 9/1 - 2nd), UK (last place 33/1 - 24th of 26)
2011: My tips Azerbaijan (Win 12/1 - 1st) , B&H (Each Way 14/1 - 6th), Sweden (Each Way 10/1 - 3rd), Serbia (Each Way 100/1 - 14th)
2010: My tips Germany (Win 4/1 - 1st), UK (Last place - Yes), Turkey (Each Way 28/1 - 2nd), Romania (Each Way 80/1 - 3rd), Russia (Top Ten 5/2 - 11th ooh, almost a clean sweep)
2009: My tips Norway (Win 7/4 - 1st), Iceland (Each Way 28/1 - 2nd), Estonia (Each Way 28/1- 6th), Switzerland (Each Way 75/1 - 14th S1)
2008: My tips Russia (Win 7/2 -1st), San Marino (to qualify for final - err no...last), Lithuania (to get 0 points, err no 30 points),
2007: My tips Greece (Win 16/1 -7th ), Ukraine (Each Way 12/1 - 2nd), Bosnia Herzegovina (Each Way 80/1 - 11th)
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 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.