Finnish Presidential Election 2018 Odds: Niinisto to be re-elected?

Although the Finnish president has little authority, 8 candidates are competing for the upcoming presidential race. The Finnish presidential election 2018 odds are in favor of the incumbent President Sauli Niinisto. Use the opportunity to bet on the winner until Jan 28.

Less than one year ago many candidates started popping up like mushrooms for the Finnish presidential election race. Yet online sportsbooks in Finland expect same rivalry to happen as in 2012, when the runner-up Pekka Haavisto from the Greens of Finland challenged Sauli Niinisto in the second round and was largely defeated. It seems that with the current tensions in the Baltic Sea region, people are looking for a safe and familiar candidate, and they don’t even want to consider alternatives. President Sauli Niinisto is seeking a second six-year term in office, and the Finnish presidential election 2018 odds are in favor of him to win outright with convenient turnout of voting percentage.

Niinisto a favorite to continue

(source: New Now Finland)

Opinion polls in Finland show that almost 76% of the respondents support re-electing the 69-year-old Niinisto. His popularity doubled in comparison to 2012 opinion polling. His old rival the lawmaker Pekka Haavisto holds similar popularity as before 2012 election, where approximately 14% of respondents back him.

Niinisto is running this time as a non-affiliated candidate, and he would not run on any party ticket, distancing himself from the National Coalition Party. The odds at Unibet Sportsbook are 1.02 for Niinisto to win the first round, and they are 1.28 for him to win more than 50% of total votes.

Finnish presidential election 2018 odds: No Surprises

When Finland goes to the polls in January to help shaping the country’s foreign and security policy, the majority is seemed to back retaining good relations with the Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. A massive support to Niinisto in the first round, means encouraging him to keep an active role in maintaining relations with neighboring Russia, and voicing out for Finland not to join the NATO, especially under current chilly East-West relations.

However if the gay Green Pekka Haavisto retains a convenient percentage of votes, the message will be that the paradigm shift in 2012 remains alive. The odds for Haavisto stand at 12.00, and that means it’s unlikely for him to make any political surprises. However Laura Huhtasaari the candidate riding a nativist wave may gain good support in the polls, her odds are 17.00. The rest five candidates are expected to barely survive the election with extreme low rates, so it is recommended not to bet on them.

High turnout and an outright win are expected

If you wish to bet on Niinisto to win the first round pick him as your winner at Unibet Sportsbook. Do not forget to bet on him to score more than 50% of votes in the specials section, and since no changes in the attitude of Finnish citizens is expected then you can comfortably bet as well on the percentage of voter turnout to be over 70%.