SanRemo Festival 2019: Betting and Odds Preview

We’re used to seeing betting markets put in place for the Eurovision Song Contest but in fact, this trend extents to smaller competitions in Europe and beyond. While the list of bookmakers starts to decrease outside of Eurovision, these shows offer some good opportunities to find value profits.

In Italy, the most popular song contest takes place at the SanRemo Festival. It dates back to 1951 and for this year’s edition, some of the best musical talent in the country will assemble on February 5th to battle it out. Here, then, is a guide to the event as we see whether there are any profits to be found from the sanremo festival odds.

Background

The SanRemo Music Festival dates back to 1951 and it is said to have been the very inspiration for Eurovision itself. Over the years, the event has helped to launch the careers of many well-known Italian artists including Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini and Paolo e Chiara. Popular international acts have also used the festival in an attempt to break the Italian market and the roll call in this respect includes Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder and Shirley Bassey.

Having started life at the City’s Casino, the venue has altered over the years although it has always stayed at the heart of sanremo italy. In 2019 the contest will return to the Ariston Theatre where some of the country’s best acts will be vying for the big prize. Winning here is also a route into Eurovision in May so there’s plenty at stake for all involved. We’ll now look at the sanremo festival odds market to see if we can pick a winner from the runners and riders.

Out in Front

Ultimo

At present, the only odds available on the outright winner of this festival come from EnergyBet and LV BET. That position may change in the weeks ahead but constant monitoring of these two bookmakers suggests that their prices are always in tune with the market and we can therefore be confident of getting good value here.

The artist at the head of the pack is Ultimo with both bookmakers offering the same win price of 11/10. Ultimo is a 22 year old pop and hip hop artist who has enjoyed previous success at the SanRemo festival with victory in the ‘New Proposal’ Category twelve months ago.

Behind the favourite is Il Volo and once again, EnergyBet and LV BET have agreed on a price – this time at 5/2. Here we have a less conventional act as Il Volo are described as an operatic pop trio and as we’ll see in our round up, they could be an act to watch closely.

Chasing Artists

Behind the top two, the market starts to drift a little before we come to Arisa at 6/1 followed by Francesco Renga at 12/1. Behind them, Federica Carta and Shade are at 13/1 before we start to reach outsider territory. One again, the sanremo festival odds in question here come from both EnergyBet and LV BET.

Of those names, Arisa is a very versatile artist who is known across Italy as a singer and actress and at the age of 36, she is well established in both realms. In terms of the sanremo music festival, Francesco Renga is perhaps the most experienced performer taking part in 2019’s renewal. The 50 year old won here in 2005 and has taken part on two occasions since and may be the best value among the longer-priced punts.

Outside Punts

The list of outsider options begins with a clutch of artists who are all available at the same best odds of 22/1 with both LV BET and EnergyBet. Among those who are locked on that figure are Einar and Zen Circus who are hoping to upset the odds when the festival gets underway.

Zen Circus is a quirky name and it’s an unusual act which describes itself as a mix of punk and folk so it will certainly grab the judges’ attention. There are plenty of artists still to cover in this section and we move through Negrita at 32/1 and Ghemon at 35/1. At the very end of the scale, we have the 66/1 shots Nino D’Angelo and Livio Cori. Once again, EnergyBet and LV BET are providing those prices but we think that the eventual winner will be much shorter.

Verdict

This could be a tricky call for the casual punter who has little or no knowledge of the Italian music stars of today. Of course, for those who have time to carry out full research there is the possibility of checking the frontrunners on YouTube or, it can be quicker to look at similar competitions such as Eurovision and seeing whether we can identify any trends.

We’ve definitely seen in the Eurovision Song Contest that the judges like quirky acts. From Finnish Death Metal to cross dressing divas, there is a good track record of success in the big event so is there anyone from sanremo italy who fits that kind of profile?

As we’ve seen, the bookmakers seem to think this is a two-horse race with the favourites some way ahead of the rest of the field. Ultimo is clear at the head of the market and he has enjoyed previous success in the sanremo festival odds markets but he is a relatively conventional artist.

The same can’t be said for Il Volo who are an unusual operatic trio comprising a baritone and two tenors. It doesn’t always follow that the ‘novelty’ trend comes through to win the day but if the organisers of the festival in sanremo italy are looking at the bigger picture and a tilt at the Eurovision Song Contest in May, then Il Volo could serve them well.

There is a big gap to the rest of the market and there is always the scope for a shock outcome but the operatic threesome of Il Volo is our tip for the top at the sanremo music festival for 2019.

Best Bet for SanRemo Music Festival 2019:

• Il Volo to win at 5/2 with EnergyBet or LV BET