Author
Howard Gensler is a veteran journalist who’s worked at the Philadelphia Daily News, TV Guide and the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a founding editor of bettorsinsider.com.
Dancing with the Stars: Season 31 Odds
There are three key components to handicapping a season of “Dancing with the Stars" for New York sportsbooks should they decide to offer wagers. The first factor, obviously, is who is going to be able to dance? The second is figuring who’s going to physically make it through. For a goofy show, DWTS can be grueling if you’re out of condition – pulled muscles, sprained ankles and fatigue are common. The third facet, which some seasons is most important, is who is the audience going to like – who’s going to work hard, have chemistry with their partner, and ooze fun?
Over the years there have been many stars who’ve advanced because of their personalities when their footwork was more Fred Flintstone than Fred Astaire. But there have also been legitimate pop music dancers who’ve struggled because the waltz and cha-cha-cha are very different from the type of dancing seen on music videos.
This year, with Season 31 debuting on ABC on Monday, Sept. 19, EmpireStakes.com did research on ABC.com, Wikipedia.com and other sites to find information regarding each of the celebrities, as well as past performances of the professional dancing partners, with their past performances heavily weighted. The hypothetical odds were then developed for entertainment purposes only and based solely on opinion off of information researched.
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Dancing with the Stars (Season 31) Winning Odds
The Heavy Favorite
The likely favorite with operators such as BetMGM Sportsbook NY is social media personality/influencer Charli D’Amelio, who was a professional dancer for a decade before she started posting TikTok videos with her sister, in which they . . . danced. Talk about a ringer.
D’Amelio will certainly lead the pack in moves and flexibility – she’s only 18 – but will she able to pair with Mark Ballas and play the characters the different dances require? One potential hurdle is that her 50-year-old mother, Heidi D’Amelio, is also in the competition (with Artem Chigvintsev) and maybe that will be one too many influencers on the vote.
Other Contenders
Next up is actor/singer/“Let’s Make a Deal” host Wayne Brady. He’s a talented dude, who’s danced on Broadway so he should be able to master all the steps with Witney Carson, and his friendly persona should play with the DWTS audience. Also, Carson won the Mirrorball Trophy with Alfonso Ribeiro, and Brady may fit that niche.
Former “Bachelorette” Gabby Windey (paired with Val Chmerkovskiy) is the third favorite. She’s a former Denver Broncos cheerleader, so she should be adept at learning steps and shaking her moneymaker. Will the folks who watch DWTS care? Is there a lot of “DWTS” “Bachelorette” crossover?
Singer Jessie James Decker is accustomed to moving on stage and as a child was part of a step team. But Judge Len Goodman may have no idea what a step team is, and stepping is very different from the tango. And now she’s a mom of three.
Singer Jordin Sparks, who burst onto the scene with “American Idol,” is a worthwhile longshot because she’s always put forth a likeable personality. But can she rumba?
Viewers can weigh the potential of each of these contenders should New York betting apps get in on the DWTS competition.
The Longshots
The longest shots on the board, however, are among the most interesting and may pull the most heartstrings:
Actress Selma Blair (“Cruel Intentions,” “Legally Blonde,” “Hellboy”) has been up front about her alcoholism and battle with multiple sclerosis. She seems to have kicked the bottle, and chemotherapy and stem cell treatments have her MS under control. If she really buys into the DWTS mindset, her comeback story could get her through the early rounds. She teams with Sasha Farber.
Newly remarried Teresa Giudice, of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and prison fame, should have good name recognition with DWTS fans, and she’s got a new story to tell with a new man in her life. But will she drive partner Pasha Pashkov nuts?
Cheryl Ladd, most famous for her role in the 1970s TV series “Charlie’s Angels,” made her first appearance on television 50 years ago in an episode of “The Rookies.” She’s worked steadily ever since and is 71 now, so she’s going to have generations of fans pulling for her. If she’s in shape to keep up with partner Louis van Amstel, she has a shot to hang in the competition.
The best-known Cheryl on DWTS, however, is probably Cheryl Burke, who won seasons 2 and 3 with partners Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith and has been on and off the show ever since. For this, her 25th season, she’ll be partnered with ABC weatherman Sam Champion, age 61. While Champion was moving sun bursts and rain clouds across the TV screen, he never struck me as a dancer, but if the Mirrorball brings flashbacks of late nights in New York discos, Champion could well end up the champion.
Check out the best New York sportsbook promo codes right here at EmpireStakes.com all season through Dancing With The Stars.
Methodology
EmpireStakes.com utilized research on ABC.com, Wikipedia.com and various other sites to find information regarding each of the celebrities on Season 31, as well as past performances of dancing partners on past DWTS seasons. Past performance of dancing professionals on DWTS and experience with dancing of the celebrity was heavily weighted. The hypothetical odds developed are for entertainment purposes only and based solely on opinion off of information researched.
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