Eurovision Begins in Basel: Bookmakers Back Sweden’s KAJ as Favorite

^{Pictured: KAJ (Sweden)}

The 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest gets underway today in Basel, Switzerland, with performers from 37 countries set to compete. 

This marks the third time Switzerland has hosted Eurovision, having previously done so in 1956 and 1989.

As always, betting markets are a key indicator when it comes to predicting who might walk away with the title.

Currently, the top pick among major bookmakers is Sweden, represented by the group KAJ and their track ‘Bara Bada Bastu’. At Bet365, the betting odds of a Swedish win are set at 1.8 (implying a 55.5% probability).

Sitting in second is Austria’s JJ — real name Johannes Pietsch — whose ballad “Wasted Love” is trading at 4.0 odds (25%). Rounding out the top three is French artist Louane with “Maman”, priced at 11.0, which gives her a 9.1% implied chance of victory.

Below is the current top-10 betting board for Eurovision 2025 via Bet365:

The first semifinal will be held tonight, May 13, at 9:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time (CET). The second semifinal follows on May 15 at the same hour, and the grand final takes place on May 17, also kicking off at 9:00 p.m. CET.

On our site, you can track how often betting odds actually predict the winner — and where the bookmakers tend to miss.