Mike Richards’, Ken Jennings’ Odds Worsen Following Respective Controversies
LeVar Burton’s odds of being the next permanent host of Jeopardy! improved since last week, according to betting aggregators. On August 5, his odds of taking over were 16/1 (5.9% implied probability), but they’ve since improved to 11/1 (8.3%).
“With recent controversies surrounding them surfacing in the news, Mike Richards and Ken Jennings noticed unfavorable movement in the bookies’ eyes,” says a US-bookies spokesperson. “However, LeVar Burton’s moved in the opposite direction, with his odds improving as the other potential hosts’ chance start to decline.”
Mike Richards, who became the odds-on favorite last week, worsened in the odds markets. On August 5, he was 1/3 (75% implied probability) to take over as the next host, but his odds have since shifted to 1/2 (66.7%). Ken Jennings worsened from 10/1 (9.1%) to 11/1 (8.3%) during the same time.
- Tipico, a big German sports betting platform, has announced intent to come to the US.
- BetBull should be soon up and running to take real-money wagers.
“Every other potential host’s odds did not move following this news, suggesting their chances haven’t been affected,” says a US-bookies spokesperson.
Odds to be Next Permanent Jeopardy! Host:
| Odds on May 11, 2021 | Odds on July 28, 2021 | Odds on August 5, 2021 | Odds on August 9, 2021 | |
| Mike Richards | 10/1 (+1000) | 9/1 (+900) | 1/3 (-300) | 1/2 (-200) |
| Ken Jennings | 5/2 (+250) | 3/1 (+300) | 10/1 (+1000) | 11/1 (+1100) |
| LeVar Burton | 6/4 (+150) | 7/2 (+350) | 16/1 (+1600) | 11/1 (+1100) |
| Aaron Rodgers | 5/1 (+500) | 7/1 (+700) | 18/1 (+1800) | 18/1 (+1800) |
| Bill Whitaker | 22/1 (+2200) | 9/1 (+900) | 20/1 (+2000) | 20/1 (+2000) |
| David Faber | N/A | 10/1 (+1000) | 25/1 (+2500) | 25/1 (+2500) |
| Joe Buck | N/A | 11/1 (+1100) | 25/1 (+2500) | 25/1 (+2500) |
| Anderson Cooper | 18/1 (+1800) | 12/1 (+1200) | 33/1 (+3300) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Buzzy Cohen | N/A | 14/1 (+1400) | 33/1 (+3300) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Mayim Bialik | 14/1 (+1400) | 16/1 (+1600) | 33/1 (+3300) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Dr. Sanjay Gupta | 20/1 (+2000) | 18/1 (+1800) | 33/1 (+3300) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Robin Roberts | N/A | 18/1 (+1800) | 33/1 (+3300) | 33/1 (+3300) |
| Dr. Mehmet Oz | 100/1 (+10000) | 20/1 (+2000) | 40/1 (+4000) | 40/1 (+4000) |
| Savannah Guthrie | 30/1 (+300) | 25/1 (+2500) | 40/1 (+4000) | 40/1 (+4000) |
| George Stephanopoulos | N/A | 25/1 (+2500) | 50/1 (+5000) | 50/1 (+5000) |
| Katie Couric | N/A | 33/1 (+3300) | 66/1 (+6600) | 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.
