How to Bet on the Eurovision: Odds and Strategies

An introduction to Eurovision betting

Betting on Eurovision is about going with your instinct, the songs, and perhaps, mainly, the opinions of others. Even if you don’t like a particular entry, that shouldn’t stop you from finding out about the artist, who they are, their background, and the country they’re presenting. Taking all of this into account, you can place your bet without going into too much research on many entries.

There’s no one answer to how you should bet on the Eurovision. You should observe and research both past and present trends. For example, after one particular Dutch duo received a very positive reception in 2014, there were numerous male/female duos the following year. So study the past few contests. There are also fewer carnival-style performances and flashiness, having been replaced by a greater emphasis on music and the actual songs. Some countries, of course, still insist on putting on a show and the contest always welcomes such acts, even though they’re unlikely to win.

Eurovision odds and other betting factors

Some people believe that the voting is far more about politics than it is about being objective but the truth is that there’s more to it than that. One theory suggests that people tend to vote based on cultural similarities, as opposed to border boundaries. Recent winners have been more universal than country-specific so that viewers could relate to what they represented. So that’s certainly something to bear in mind when deciding on which country to bet on.

However, there are more things to consider when deciding who to place your bet on for the Eurovision. When bookmakers make their predictions, they usually turn out to be close to the actual results so it’s good practice to look at the odds long before it’s time to place your bet. Experts don’t make their predictions based on songs but have their own methods for reading the trends and atmosphere. One thing to note is that the final act of the national qualifications usually receives more points than earlier acts and tend to continue on to the semi-finals. Once the event order has been announced – both semi-finals and the final itself – further changes might be made.

Eurovision running order

Something else that you should keep in mind is the running order of the semi-finals and final. This can help you when it comes to deciding which act has a better chance of progressing to the Grand Final. The organisers make decisions on how the songs should be placed so that they are given the maximum amount of exposure. You’ll notice that there are practically no two ballads in a row or consecutive upbeat rock songs. This also contributes to making for a more interesting show and is one way how the organisers seek to achieve higher ratings.

Every Eurovision since 2002 has been assigned its own distinct theme that you may not have recognised on the night if it wasn’t brought to your attention beforehand. The majority of songs don’t have anything at all to do with the theme. So if you were thinking that you could attempt to predict the winning song by basing it on how closely it adheres to the theme, that might not be the way to go. One thing you should always look at, however, are the recent winners.

Year	Winning Country	Song and Artist
2019	The Netherlands	Arcade by Duncan Laurence
2018	Israel	Toy by Netta
2017	Portugal	Amar pelos dois by Salvador Sobral
2016	Ukraine	1994 by Jamala
2015	Sweden	Heroes by Måns Zelmerlöw
2014	Austria	Rise Like A Phoenix by Conchita Wurst
2013	Denmark	Only Teardrops by Emmelie de Forest
2012	Sweden	Euphoria by Loreen
2011	Azerbaijan	Running Scared by Ell & Nikki
2010	Germany	Satellite by Lena
2009	Norway	Fairytale by Alexander Rybak

Why Australia and should you bet on them?

It sometimes seems that you need to be an expert on the Eurovision to understand why some things are the way they are. But maybe that’s just one of the reasons why we like it. It’s confusing, it’s cheesy, but it’s also entertaining. Perhaps one of the more confusing aspects of it all is that it allows Australia to take part. That’s despite the fact that it’s roughly 8,700 miles away from Europe. Australia’s ongoing inclusion was something of a controversial decision. Their invitation to participate in 2015 for the show’s 60th anniversary was one thing, as for some reason it is incredibly popular in Australia.

The fact that they have become a regular contestant, however, hasn’t gone down well with everyone. After their impressive debut (finishing in fifth place.) they came second the following year. In 2017 and 2018, however, they came ninth and 20th respectively. So it appears as though their beginner’s luck has come to an end. Therefore, going with the exotic choice shouldn’t be your strategy moving forward.

You don’t have to be a musical genius to succeed in Eurovision betting. Just use your knowledge and intuition, and you may well be on your way to winning your bets on this unique song contest.