Miss Brazil, Miss Korea, Miss Greece Favorites in Miss Universe 2007While Miss Venezuela comes in as a +400 favorite at BetUS.com to win the Miss Universe 2007 contest, she's got some pretty tough competition.
Among those listed as near favorites in the 2007 Miss Universe contest: Miss Brazil, Miss Korea and Miss Greece, all with +800 odds.
Some facts you should know:
Greece is now in the pole position, with Venezuela in second place and Korea in third. Tanzania at +1150 and Spain at +1150 round out the top five. Brazil, incidentally, is at the number 13 position.
All odds can be found at
BetUS.com (see website here)
2007 Miss Universe Betting Odds are listed here
"The interest in this event is quite staggering in terms of search and readership here at Gambling911.com," Ms. Payton O'Brien, Senior Editor of Gambling911.com reports. "It has been the third most popular topic in terms of readership over the last 48 hours."
The event is not without its controversies however, which could very well be playing into the overall popularity.
Missing from the competition is three time winning country representative, Miss Sweden.
Isabel Lestapier Winqvist, 20, has dropped out because Swedes say the Miss Universe competition, airing live Monday night from Mexico City’s National Auditorium, is degrading to women and weighed down by scandals.
“We’re taking a big beating by being linked to it,” said Panos Papadopoulos, the organizer of the Miss Sweden contest, which scrapped its swimsuit competition and allowed women to apply for the position like any other job after heavy criticism from feminists.
Then there is the former Miss USA, Tara Conner, who had to enter rehab as a result of underage drinking and late night partying. She handed the crown over to who we hope will be a better representative of Miss USA - and perhaps the Miss Universe pageant, Rachel Smith (Miss Tennessee). But poor Rachel Smith nearly got booed off the stage during preliminaries in Mexico City as a result of recent immigration policy reviews in the US
Canada, whose 2005 delegate Natalie Glebova won Miss Universe that year, has placed among the "field" odds this year at BetUS.com and is listed at 66 to 1 or longer odds elsewhere.
Neither England, The Netherlands nor Iceland will be represented in this year's Miss Universe pageant.
Trinidad and Tobago will not send a delegate for the first time in sixteen years, due to a lack of financial support. Kenisha Thom, who represented Trinidad and Tobago in 2006 appealed to the government and businesses to support the pageant, to no avail
Tanzania makes an impressive debut, competing for the first time ever. Miss Tanzania ranks among the top 6 contestants by the oddsmakers at BetUS.com, giving her +1150 odds or a $100 bet pays out $1150.
Serbia and Montenegro will compete separately in Miss Universe for the first time.
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Related Articles:
Immigration Bill Anger Reaches Miss Universe Contest
Miss Universe 2007 Betting Odds Have Miss Venezuela Big Favorite
2007 Miss Universe Betting Odds are listed here
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com
Originally published May 26, 2007 2:38 pm ET
