Odds Review #7: Week Ending 18/02
We have plenty of new additions to the field as the season really starts to take shape. Germany got us started on Friday with outsider Isaak winning both the jury and televote in Das Deutsche Finale causing a rapid and dramatic drift out to their regular territory in the triple digits. Was Ryk a contender? No. I think the result he got in Germany speaks quite clearly about that, but he would have kept Germany in some discussions of achieving something perhaps. It may be just as well for backers he was found out here. The saturday night selections proved slightly more predictable with all the favourites coming through. ‘Luktelk’ for Lithuania delivered the most emphatic result and they come back down into the 20s. It’s an interesting entry to discuss and I’ll save my thoughts for the review. Denmark, Estonia and Moldova were the others to decide.
Melodifestivalen in Sweden turned out a result that was expected at the start of the week but unnexpected by the night with Jacqline winning and maybe becoming the biggest threat from the first 3 heats. The competition hots up with the introduction of still 2nd and 3rd favourites Saucedo and Dotter next week. Iceland have just headed back into the 20s+ and eyes will be on Bashar Murad next week. As a ‘contender’ based not upon his song it may be a learn-little or just lose scenario. Croatia’s standing in the odds is likewise based solely on Baby Lasagna and we will get our first glimpse of him on Friday before the final on next Sunday. San Marino also begin their annual cash grab national selection starting tomorrow with the announcement of their “big” names before semi finals and a final on Saturday night. They’ve not fully realised their potential as a false flag operation yet and it will be interesting to see if they have indeed poached anyone half good. If there are any familiar names, they are more likely to be on the Achille Lauro level than anyone super competitive.
The early highlights of the week is Poland’s artist and song reveal not much more than 12 hours from now and Mustii’s entry for Belgium following on Tuesday. The former is rumoured to be Luna with ‘The Tower’ which doesn’t particularly excite me, whilst Belgium are apparently going back to their more avant-garde well after last year’s ode to camp. Both are currently in the mid to high 30s. At the top of the odds it’s another week as favourites for Ukraine who don’t look like being dislodged any time soon.
