Tips for betting Grammys
It’s not easy predicting, or successfully betting on, the Grammys. Just ask anyone who tried to handicap last year’s album of the year award. Not too many people picked Beck, who won the coveted award over Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé ( to the vocal dismay of Kanye West).
But gambling sites can help forecast the Grammys, which will be broadcast on CBS at 5 p. m. on Monday, Feb. 15.
According to the website SportsBettingDime.com, which aggregates odds and reviews gambling sites, Taylor Swift’s “1989” opened in December at 5: 2 to win album of the year, while Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” was the favorite at 2: 1.
Now “1989” is the overwhelming favorite at 2: 5 ( to win $ 20, you have to bet $ 50) and Lamar’s album is 3: 1. Rounding out the pack are albums by the Weeknd ( 9: 1), Alabama Shakes ( 20: 1) and Chris Stapleton ( 25: 1).
Odds are based on betting trends and media buzz, which ultimately are capricious, says J. Jones of OnlineGambling.lv. Alabama Shakes and the Weeknd have both had terrific years, and either one could upset front- runner Swifty.
“If history has taught us anything, it’s that the Grammys love voting against the grain,” Jones said.
Forecasting Grammy winners can be challenging because typically there aren’t stats to measure, injury reports or a recent track record as you have in sports, SportsBettingDime writer Thomas Klomparens notes.
“Historically, there’s a racial bias,” Klomparens said, “typical Hollywood stuff.”
Voters are generally older and have “set- in- stone ways of doing things,” he added, which makes them less receptive to young or iconoclastic artists.
Two other categories are record of the year and song of the year. The former recognizes the artist’s performance as well as the overall contributions of the producer and recording engineer, while the latter award is for the songwriter.
“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars is the overwhelming favorite for record of the year at 2: 5 at BetFair, a British gambling site. Next is Swift’s “Blank Space” at 9: 2, followed by the Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” at 13: 2 and Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” at 9: 1.
For song of the year, “Blank Space” is a heavy favorite, followed by “Thinking Out Loud” and “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town and Lamar’s “Alright” are long shots.
In the best new artist category, Meghan Trainor is the favorite at 4: 5, James Bay is 2: 1 and Sam Hunt is 7: 2. The long shots are Courtney Barnett and Tori Kelly.
Betting on entertainment is tricky in the United States as Nevada bookmakers can’t take these wagers. They’re illegal due to the prospect of inside information, but there are online sites like Bovada. lv that take bets on the Grammys and Oscars.