Mike Richards is now the odds-on favorite to be the next permanent host of Jeopardy!, according to betting aggregators. His odds to take over the role improved from 9/1 (10% implied probability) to 1/3 (75%) since last week.
“With recent reports suggesting the show’s executive producer was expected to be the new permanent host, Mike Richards immediately became the heavy favorite,” says a US-Bookies spokesperson. “At the same time, other top picks like Ken Jennings and LeVar Burton had their odds worsen following the news.”
Ken Jennings, who was the 3/1 favorite (25% implied probability) to be the next host on July 29, follows Richards at 10/1 (9.1%). LeVar Burton’s odds also worsened from 7/2 (22.2%) to 16/1 (5.9%) during this time.
“Many fans were apparently shocked to see the reports of Richards’ negotiations, but bookies had him near the top,” says a US-Bookies spokesperson. “Last week, Richards had 9/1 to be the next permanent host, tying him with Bill Whitaker for the fourth-best odds at the time, which was not too far from Jennings and Burton.”
Odds to be Next Permanent Jeopardy! Host:
| Odds on May 11, 2021 | Odds on July 28, 2021 | Odds on August 5, 2021 | |
| Mike Richards | 10/1 (+1000) | 9/1 (+900) | 1/3 (-300) |
| Ken Jennings | 5/2 (+250) | 3/1 (+300) | 10/1 (+1000) |
| LeVar Burton | 6/4 (+150) | 7/2 (+350) | 16/1 (+1600) |
| Aaron Rodgers | 5/1 (+500) | 7/1 (+700) | 18/1 (+1800) |
| Bill Whitaker | 22/1 (+2200) | 9/1 (+900) | 20/1 (+2000) |
| David Faber | N/A | 10/1 (+1000) | 25/1 (+2500) |
| Joe Buck | N/A | 11/1 (+1100) | 25/1 (+2500) |
| Anderson Cooper | 18/1 (+1800) | 12/1 (+1200) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Buzzy Cohen | N/A | 14/1 (+1400) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Mayim Bialik | 14/1 (+1400) | 16/1 (+1600) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Dr. Sanjay Gupta | 20/1 (+2000) | 18/1 (+1800) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Robin Roberts | N/A | 18/1 (+1800) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Dr. Mehmet Oz | 100/1 (+10000) | 20/1 (+2000) | 40/1 (+4000) |
| Savannah Guthrie | 30/1 (+300) | 25/1 (+2500) | 40/1 (+4000) |
| George Stephanopoulos | N/A | 25/1 (+2500) | 50/1 (+5000) |
| Katie Couric | N/A | 33/1 (+3300) | 66/1 (+6600) |
Disclaimer: The odds posted in this article are for illustrative purposes only, as wagering on such props is not currently legal in any U.S. state. The data was based on betting markets offered by UK/European/worldwide operators regulated in jurisdictions where wagering on these props is legal.
