Miss Universe 2007 Betting Odds Have Miss Venezuela Big Favorite

Miss Universe 2007 Betting odds are now available.  The show will air live from Mexico City Monday May 28 at 9 pm ET.  So who are this year's hotties?

To few people's surprise, Miss Venezuela Ly Jonaitis is the favorite to become Miss Universe 2007.  The Miss Venezuela contestant is typically listed among the top five favorites year after year to win the beauty pageant. 

At press time May 26, she was listed with 4 to 1 odds at BetUS.com (see website here)

Another regularly featured Miss Universe country, Brazil, is also well represented this year with Natália Guimarães at 8 to 1 odds.

Miss Greece, Doukissa Nomikou, is also listed with 8 to 1 odds of becoming the next Miss Universe 2007.

Miss Nicaragua - Xiomara Blandino- also has very favorable odds to win Miss Universe 2007.  She's listed at 9.5 to 1 and she's bound to have plenty of her fans on hand being that the show will take place just up the block in Mexico.

Miss Dominican Republic typically shows up within the 16 to 1 odds sector and this year is no exception as Massiel Taveras is listed with 20 to 1 odds. 

The online gambling capital of North American focused bookmakers is none other than Costa Rica and this year these slobbering dogs have something to bark about for sure.  Miss Costa Rica, Veronica Gonzalez, is listed with solid 14.5 to 1 odds of becoming the next Miss Universe. 

We were surprised to find Miss Puerto Rico failing to represent as well this year with Uma Blasini who only comes in with 27 to 1 odds.  She also happens to be the tallest in the competition, standing 1.85 m. and she's a cancer survivor, as is Miss Mexico.  Both went through thyroid gland tumor extraction.

Miss Jamaica (Zahra Redwood) is the first Rastafarian to represent Jamaica at Miss Universe.  She is listed with 40 to 1 odds.

Miss Mauritius is expected to be represented by Sandra Faro (1st runner-up at Miss Mauritius 2006) because Melody Selvon, the actual winner of the competition, is only 16 years old.  Faro was listed with 50 to 1 odds at PaddyPower.com.

Other countries represented included Miss USA Rachel Smith at impressive 12 to 1 odds and Miss Mexico at 13 to 1 odds (the host country).  Miss Canada was listed at 66 to 1 odds at PaddyPower and 5 to 1 odds (or +500) as a "field" category at BetUS.com.  

Paddy Power won't have any home grown country representation in this year's Miss Universe competition.  That's because neither Ireland - home of Paddy Power - nor the United Kingdom are taking part. 

The tiny island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, which made big waves in last year's World Cup, 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.


Miss Nicaragua Xiomara Blandino

Of course where there are beauty contests there has always got to be those girls who - thanks to the oddsmakers - rank among the ugly ducklings if everyone looked like Miss Venezuela that is.

Those coming in with the worst odds (and the best payouts if they were to somehow actually win): Miss Turks & Cacos; Miss Montenegro and Miss Kazakhstan, all with 200 to 1 long odds.  (each pictured from left to right).  BetUS.com would count these ladies among its "field" choices at +500 or 5 to 1 odds. 

 

If only delegates from cyberspace websites could be represented....

Gambling911.com would certainly have no problem taking the crown.


Miss Gambling911.com - Sparky Collins

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com

Originally published May 23, 2007 11:35 pm ET