Eurovision 2024 Betting Tips: Croatia set for first ever Eurovision win
The roster for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 final is complete, as last night saw Latvia, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Israel, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia, and Armenia locking in their spots in tomorrow night’s showdown in Malmo.
Following Israel's standout performance, Croatia's prospects of taking home their first Eurovision win seems to be dwindling. As the 26 nations gear up to compete for Eurovision glory, speculation is rife about who will steal the spotlight and emerge victorious, showbiz specialist, Kayley Cornelius delves into this year’s frontrunners…
Eurovision 2024 Betting Tips:
- Croatia to win @ 4/5
Croatia merely remain favourites to win going into the finals. It was only earlier this week that Croatia managed to emerge as prominent frontrunners as they started to create distance between them and Switzerland. After a strong performance from Baby Lasagna in the semi-finals, Croatia’s first Eurovision victory was looking inevitable until Israel flipped the markets on their head last night.
With the rest of the field now priced at 1/1 to win – it looks like Croatia are back at square one and this year’s Eurovision is set to be one of the tightest competitions in recent years.
So, who could beat Croatia?
Despite controversies surrounding their participation, Israel have been silently climbing in the betting markets this week and after last night’s performance, their odds have been boosted and are now trailing is closely behind as the second-favourite to clinch victory in the competition. Their last triumph dates back to 2018, and this year, they are represented by Eden Golan, who takes the stage as the sixth performer of the evening.
Despite being displaced from their second-place position by Israel, Switzerland, popstar Nemo still holds strong support from Eurovision viewers and his fans at home. With the controversy surrounding Israel's participation intensifying, Switzerland may experience an upsurge in voters. If Nemo replicates the same level of energy from his semi-final performance tomorrow night, he will undoubtedly prove hard to beat.
Representing Spain this year is Nebulossa, comprising husband and wife duo Mark and Maria.
Musically, the pair was relatively unknown in Spain until recently. They began performing together at local festivals in 2018, and Nebulossa released their debut single in 2020, followed by a few more tracks in 2023, albeit with limited attention.
Both Maria and Mark were surprised when they garnered the most votes at the Benidorm festival, organised by national broadcaster RTVE in February, securing their place as Spain's Eurovision representatives.
However, their entry song, 'Zorra', has sparked division among Eurovision fans in Spain. Many feel the song doesn't align with the contest's cool and youthful image. Without the full support of their country, their chances of success in the final may be compromised.
Where will the United Kingdom finish?
The UK’s Eurovision journey has been marked by a series of disappointments in recent years, and the 2024 contest is shaping up to be no exception. Years & Years star, Olly Alexander, looked like a promising candidate to UK Eurovision fans when it was first announced he would be representing the country, and soared to the top of betting markets as many believed he had what it took to bring home the first Eurovision win since 1997.
However, after a shaky performance in the semi-finals, the UK finds itself facing familiar predictions of another disappointing year. Currently, they are predicted to secure a spot between 16th and 20th place, but they also trail closely behind Spain, with odds of 4/1 to end up in the last position.
