Odds Review: Mid Rehearsals Update 07-05
We are ten days away from the final and that awkward stage in rehearsals where we have seen a bit from some countries, stills and hints from others and nothing at all from the pre-qualified: It’s a very uneven playing field, but it does feel time for an update too…
Interest in Sweden has cooled in the market with them backing off to 2.3+ for the win, we’re in that period where it’s easy to be distracted by the new staging's and ‘revelations’ and people are wary of a momentum collapse. I’ve not seen anything to be personally corncerned with around them. Austria remain one I don’t want to commit either way on, they have shortened back in to around 4s with the main news being a black and white staging with the expected boat prop. A bit like opera itself, this also feels like window dressing to me, but I acknowledge many jurors may feel this is the one that ticks all the boxes. Like most, I’m also waiting to see how France is looking as the main apparent jury threat. The Netherlands have brought some violins which might also aim to class the joint up a bit but on the whole them, Estonia, Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Albania who are all next in the odds but haven’t (to me at least) shown anything to really change my prediction, but all sneak down with the Sweden drift.
Israel is maybe the most out of the blue contender with them taking a turn I wasn’t expecting. Odd styling and staging choice imo that makes selling the narrative and getting neutral investment a bit harder. I’ll wait for more evidence of course, but so far I’m not seeing the threat there still. The growing list of broadcasters complaining is also a bad jury omen.
Cyprus looks interesting but remains a heavy outsider in many of the markets other than qualification where it is a near lock. I’ve not felt the urge to go and back it for anything yet.
Not much else in terms of outright to report on where I keep the main focus of these but in general and with much yet to trickle out my overall thoughts are below, as are today’s current odds.
