2026 Odds Review #2: 18/01
There’s been plenty to digest over the past week including the doubling of our confirmed entries from 2 to 4 with Moldova and Malta both selecting. There’s been interest in some corners over Satoshi and I too am a fan but they are currently 100-1+ meanwhile Aidan came out the winner in a much tighter MESC, there’s not been a lot of talk there but someone is backing it with a relatively short 40-1 the best offer there. Review on that in the coming week.
Finland have been the big mover in the odds crashing into single figures with some strong opening options in UMK, most notably the Pete and Linda duet and some expectation there may be even better on the way in the next week, still, a bit low now.
Ukraine have moved in the opposite direction slightly with most feeling there’s top 5 options but maybe not a winner and a bit of a split and lack of consensus over their best option from Jerry Heil, Leleka and Monokate whilst Valeria Force is also showing some good numbers.
It’s similar in Greece where there are two main camps of Akylas and Good Job Nicky fans with Marseaux and Evangelia’s fanbases throwing up potential spanners in the works. Both are intriguing national finals where the points conversion system and tiebreakers could play a part. Georgia made a buzz (sorry) by selecting Bzikebi internally with a tbd song, they remain in triple figures.
Announcements and reveals in Germany, Poland and Romania have been disappointing and that trio have all seen their odds slide. In other news there’s a big (western) Europe-wide Eurovision tour on the horizon in the summer, participation in which is apparently a potential obligation for acts this year which may prove an issue in particular with Italy who have seen a further drip and now sit below Denmark pre-song for whom the political situation is making many cautious: strange and volatile times indeed. The UK have also seen a drift and could be a country more affected than most too if they were planning on showing ambition anyway whilst France have proven resilient.
Tomorrow brings the artist reveal in Norway, with some familiar names in the rumour mill. Israel's artist selection follows whilst the previously mentioned Denmark are making us wait until Thursday for the DMGP hopefuls and Luxembourg host their national final on Saturday. All of these are relatively highly fancied in the odds. One who aren't are Portugal whose Festival Da Cancao songs are released in the next week but will surely prove to be irrelevant with the vast majority of participants set to turn down the Eurovision ticket.
