Is a Bet on Russia to Win Eurovision Still a Good Move?

With many questions still remaining about their participation, fans are wondering whether a bet on Russia to win Eurovision is still a good move.

2017 Eurovision betting favorites

• Italy: 6/4
• Sweden: 6/1
• Bulgaria: 6/1
• Belgium: 6/1
• Portugal: 10/1

Last week, Ukraine announced they had banned Russia’s entrant into the 2017 Eurovision song contest. The singer, Yulia Samoylova, allegedly entered into Crimea illegally, and is now banned from entering Ukraine for 3 years.

As the song contest is being held in Kiev, this led many to wonder whether Russia would be able to take part in the contest at all. According to the Eurovision rules, all artists must perform live on stage, with a recorded backdrop containing no vocals. In an unprecedented move, the EBU offered Russia the chance to perform via satellite stream, but Russia unequivocally rejected the offer, stating it “completely contradicts the very essence of the event.”

It seems unlikely that Russia will go ahead with their song without Samolylova, and no news has come out about what they plan to do next. Nearly all online sportsbooks in the UK including Paddy Power still offer Russia’s Eurovision betting odds, but does a bet on Russia to win Eurovision even make sense at this point?

Current 2017 Eurovision betting odds

As we mentioned before, most sites offering betting odds for Eurovision still list Russia as an entrant, but no one knows whether they will even be competing. At the moment, Russia’s odds to win Eurovision are set at 16/1.

While a bet on Russia to win Eurovision may not make the most sense, some other countries have emerged as real betting favorites. At the top of the odds are Italy, who have won twice before. Italy’s song choice this year will be “Occidentali’s Karma,” and their odds to win currently sit at 6/4.

Another Eurovision betting favorite in 2017 is Sweden, who will be performing “I Can’t Go On.” Their odds are set at 6/1. Want to go with a Eurovision underdog? Consider betting on Norway, whose odds of 33/1 offer a great chance to win money.

At this point it’s unclear whether a bet on Russia to win Eurovision makes sense. At times we’ve seen controversy help countries win, and there are some who may be sympathetic to the ban placed upon them. Head to Paddy Power to find a full list of 2017 Eurovision betting odds, and make sure to follow GamingZion’s UK gambling news page to stay up to date on everything related to the Russia Eurovision updates!