Odds Review #11: 17/03
As is traditional now, the season has closed with our three Caucasus stragglers finally released their entries and it is collectively not the strongest end to the season with Georgia faring the best in the odds deep into the 200s with Armenia and then Azerbaijan following. I don’t have much to add really given these reviews focus on outright potential of which I agree there is none. Albania and Malta’s revamps likewise has done nothing positive for their hopes, and nor should we expect much from Czechia’s or Slovenia’s. If you find yourself doing a revamp in the first place that’s not a good sign and some tighter production isn’t going to send these from triple figures into contention. Iceland also confirmed back on Monday they will be in the contest with Hera Bjork cementing them into this irrelevant grouping. So far, we have discussed a whole lot of nothing really.
The EBU have given us some material to talk about thankfully with some key announcements including the big 5 and hosts performing in full throughout the semis. That’s one way to tackle the declining number of entrants I guess. As the strongest of that group, Italy have solidified themselves in single figures on that news. Sweden also benefit from this but instead are on the wrong end of a big market move this week having been drawn to open the show in the final. You do feel there are too many other (more) hyped entries for a host to win from there but hopes for a place may be alive still. The fact that voting will open at the start of the show similar to 2010-11 again has not saved them much in the eyes of the market.
Greece have crept up this past week with good domestic/regional figures and the other player in that avenue The Netherlands have also benefitted from their first ‘live’ performance. Despite this threat in the Balkans and to the party vote, Croatia have managed to re-open their lead on the field shortening back into the 4s and ending selection season as favourites- can they stay there until rehearsals?
Coming up before then we will have pre-parties popping up where a lot of focus will be on those we have yet to see properly- mainly Switzerland and Belgium. Eurojury will also be something to look out for in the coming weeks. We may or may not be back next week depending mainly on if there’s any need for an update but stay tuned as the last review of Azerbaijan is due tomorrow followed by a first preview of the full lineup.
