Eurovision 2018 odds: does the UK entry SuRie have a chance in Lisbon?

Storm by SuRie will be going up against
hotly-tipped favourites from Israel, France and Norway

Preview

The UK hasn’t had the best run of form in recent years, but we
have at least avoided a repeat of 2003’s infamous “nul points”.

In fact, last year’s entry – Lucie Jones’ Never
Give Up On You – was something of a modest triumph, finishing in
15th place with 111 points, the UK’s first triple-digit score since
Blue.

This year, SuRie (real name Susanna Cork) will
be hoping to do ever better with synthtastic pop ballad
Storm.

So who are the favourites to romp home to glory
in Lisbon? And is the UK’s entry this year a runner or a
rider?

Here are the bookies’ top three picks for the winning
entry, based on Oddschecker’s current best odds:

1. Israel – Toy by Netta (11/4)

A victory for Netta would be a triumphant return
to form for Israel, who spent 2011-2014 in the Eurovision
wilderness without qualifying for a final. Their 2017 entry also
failed to make a splash, finishing at an underwhelming 23rd out of
26.

Toy is the current bookies’ favourite with good
reason. Most importantly, it’s memorable: eschewing the usual
soaring Europop synth sound for a quirky, klezmer-tinged
empowerment belter that’s already a number one hit in its
homeland.

=2. Norway – That’s How You Write A Song by
Alexander Rybak (7/1)

Alexander Rybak won Eurovision for Norway in
2009, but he’s back for more this year with That’s How You Write A
Song, a perky slice of family-friendly rock.

It’s extraordinarily cheesy (sample lyrics:
“Step one: believe in it and sing it all day long / step two: just
roll with it, that’s how you write a song”), but that’s never done
a Eurovision entry any harm, and Rybak puts it over with bags of
charm.

=2. France – Mercy by Madame
Monsieur

Mercy’s deceptively chilled country-pop vibe
conceals lyrics which touch on the refugee crisis, telling the
story of a girl born at sea and rescued by a ship.

Sombre topics can go either way at Eurovision –
as France itself learnt to its cost in 2015, when its dour First
World War-themed entry finished with a paltry four points – but
Mercy’s feather-light brush with current affairs should go over a
bit better.

What about the UK entry?

Well, we’re afraid you’ll have to look a bit
further down the bookmakers’ rankings before you find the UK’s
entry. Storm by SuRie

Although the semi-finals on 8 and 10 May should
winnow the field (as one of the ‘Big Five’ major backers of the
contest, the UK gets a free pass to the final), Storm remains a
long shot, with bookies giving her odds of between 50/1 to
200/1.

The good news is that if SuRie does the odds on
the night, her backers stand to make a pretty penny – a £5 bet on
Storm at 200/1 would net punters a cool £1000.