THE blind auditions are done and now its time for the serious stuff on the smash hit reality music show The Voice.
So just who will be crowned the voice, in the competition that is as much about the contestants stories as it is about their singing ability?
Our friend’s at online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au have those cheeky Madden brothers, Benji and Joel, as the red hot favourites at $2.50 to produce the winner.
But the punters don’t agree. The are smashing Irish heart throb Ronan Keating’s team to win it all, with 32 per cent of all wagers placed on the When You Say Nothing At All singer.
Jessie J ($3.75) and Delta Goodrem ($5) still remain very much in the mix in what is shaping up to be a tight contest.
Individually, The Koi Boys (Team Jessie) and Andrew Loadsman (Team Madden) have opened at top of the betting at odds of $5.
With Georgia Carey (Team Ronan, $7.50), Adam Ladell (Team Ronan, $8) and Claire Howell (Team Jessie J, $9) the only other singers under double figure odds.
“This series is very open in the betting compared to previous years with the talent evenly spread across the teams but The Madden Brothers have a slight edge right now,’’ the bookie’s Will Byrne said.
The Koi Boys are touted on The Voice website as three boys from the Gold Coast that “look like they stepped off a basketball court”.
“Danny Faifai, Kevin Keepa and Nuz Ngatai make up The Koi Boys and their B-Boy style is a far cry from their nostalgic, jazz sound taking inspiration from The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Elvis.
“All hailing from New Zealand Danny, Kevin and Nuz all met while busking on the streets of their native homeland, they quickly formed a trio that eventually took them to Australia.”
And they knocked the judges dead with their performance of The Chords’ classic hit Sh-Boom, turning all four sets.
Their dulcet tones and urban look make them serious competitors in this competition.
But don’t rule out Loadsman, the “unique rock singer who likes to give back to the younger generation”.
“Currently he is working with Junior Rockers, a company that offers music programs for primary school kids.
“He also spends weekends and nights performing at weddings, functions and finds himself booked solid.
Influenced by the likes of Matt Corby, Matt Bellamy, Dave Grohl and Ryan Tedder, Loadsman plays guitar and sings and grew up in Melbourne in a tight knit family with two sisters and one brother.
The Voice 2016 markets
The Voice Winning Coach
$3.40 Ronan Keating
$3.75 Jessie J
$5 Delta Goodrem
The Voice Winner
$5 The Koi Boys
$5 Andrew Loadsman
$7.50 Georgia Carey
$8 Adam Ladell
$9 Claire Howell
$11 Brianna Holm
$11 Georgia Wiggins
$11 Maddison Mcnamara
$12 Nic Jeffries
$14 Alfie Arcuri
$16 Kim Sheehy
$16 Blake Morgan
$16 Lane Sinclair
$16 Crissy Ashcroft
$16 Ilisavani Cava
$18 Elle Murphy
$19 Kylie Jane Howard
Odds provided by sportsbet.com.au
Punters splash the cash on Coalition
Opposition leader Bill Shorten might have enjoyed his first lead in the opinion polls over Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, but the punters at WilliamHill.com.au have taken no notice.
As the campaign enters its third week, the online bookmaker reports punters have backed the Coalition in from $1.40 to $1.28 since the PM announced the July 2 election.
And there have been some monster bets.
A William Hill spokesman reports “One punter has had $40,000 on at $1.30, while we have written a number of other four-figure bets for Malcolm Turnbull to be heading back to the lodge.”
“The polls have certainly been favourable to the Coalition and Australia rarely throws out a government after one-term.
“The ALP have drifted from $3.30 to $3.60 with little interest in Bill Shorten pulling off a monumental upset.”
While the Coalition has attacked Shorten as a “big spender”, the Opposition leader’s popularity has hit a 12 month high and Labor has taken a 51-49 two party preferred split in the latest opinion poll.
It is stark news for a Prime Minister who was wildly popular after he knifed Tony Abbott, but has since lost plenty of the currency he earned with the Australian public.
Coalition Big Bets
$40,000 @ $1.30
$3,000 @ $1.30
$1,000 @ $1.30
ALP Big Bets
$500 @ $3.55
$400 @ $3.40
$200 @ $3.70