Dancing with the Stars Odds – Pre-Show Faves (and Other Stories)

Season 22 of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars is about to foxtrot into our living rooms. My favorite part of each new season is scrutinizing the list of celebrities to see who actually has a chance to win and who will completely embarrass themselves on national TV.

This year,four of the 12 contestants are (or were) professional athletes, including three NFL stars and one ass-kicking UFC fighter. The rest of the field is made up of celebrities that fall somewhere between the B and C list, plus some media types whose dancing experience probably involves a few Martinis and waking up somewhere new.

Then there is Marla Maples, whose claim to fame is being the former wife of a hate-spewing, racist A-hole.

But I digress. :s

Enjoy the festivities, cheer on your favorite, and keep the odds below fresh in your mind.

Odds on who will win Dancing with the Stars Season 22:

Paige VanZant (with Mark Ballas): 2/1

The beautiful Paige VanZant is not only someone who could smash your face in, but she comes in with actual competitive dancing experience. The UFC star is used to putting the gloves on and knocking competitors out. When you match her dancing experience and natural athleticism with Mr. Ballas’ creativity and drive, this pair should be unstoppable. They’re the early favorites to win the Mirrorball.

Jodie Sweetin (with Keo Motsepe): 4/1

Some people have written off former Full House cast member Jodie Sweetin, who happens to be paired with new-ish dancer Keo Motsepe. “How Rude!” But Sweetin comes in with some serious dance experience. Match that with the Fuller House reboot and she’ll not only have the moves to get the job done, but the public backing to get her to the finale.

Antonio Brown (with Sharna Burgess): 6/1

Don’t take your eyes off this pair. Others have predicted that the duo of Brown and Burgess could win the whole thing. If you’ve seen Brown’s NFL touchdown celebrations, you know that he has some creativity when it comes to the dance floor. The man is freakishly athletic and, when paired with a dancer who has been to the last two finales, this duo could put some plays together and march their way to the championship.

Von Miller (with Witney Carson): 8/1

When you’re this year’s Super Bowl MVP, nobody should ever doubt your ability to put a great performance together when it matters. As per usual, we have a few NFL players in the competition and Miller will have to be as light on his feet as he is on the Denver grass. His partner is Witney Carson, who has had some success on the show and is definitely a solid match. Football players always seem to surprise people; Miller could add another prize to his trophy case.

Ginger Zee (with Val Chmerkovskiy): 10/1

Some may wonder why I’m putting meteorologist Ginger Zee so high up, because really all she does for a day gig is read off a teleprompter and point at clouds and sunshine. With so many other competitors above her with real dancing experience, she is definitely an underdog. However, she’s teamed up with Chmerkovskiy who is a fantastic choreographer and dancer. He knows how to make partners with no real experience look like pros. Let’s hope it’s all sunny days for this pair.

Mischa Barton (with Artem Chigvintsev): 12/1

Barton, who is best known for her role on The O.C., comes into this contest with a huge following. Unfortunately, she is partnered up with Chigvintsev who has limited experience as a DWTS pro. He has appeared twice before and was only able to grab sixth-place and eighth-place finishes. There is just too much elite competition that surrounds this pair. It will be hard for them to make it to the championship. I expect this duo to come out strong but fade as the cream rises to the top.

Wanya Morris (with Lindsay Arnold): 16/1

As part of the legendary group Boyz II Men, Wanya Morris is used to dancing on stage. The R&B star certainly has an intrinsic rhythm and sense of movement to fall back on. Whether or not that will translate on the DWTS dance floor is beyond me, but he’s in great hands with Lindsay Arnold, whose proven to be a fantastic partner. Morris and Arnold could be a good sleeper pick.

Nyle DiMarco (with Peta Murgatroyd): 20/1

DiMarco, who was born deaf, won America’s Next Top Model thanks to his chiselled abs and his captivating blue eyes. But the sad truth is that winning a modelling contest is a lot easier for a deaf person than winning a dance contest.

He’s matched with Murgatroyd who has only been to one finale. It’s an uphill battle for these two and it will be interesting to see if DiMarco’s disability affects his sense of rhythm. Don’t expect the choreography to be complicated, but do expect DiMarco and Murgatroyd to be fan-favorites.

Kim Fields (with Sasha Farber): 25/1

You take the good, you take the bad, you take ’em both and there you have a Facts of Life cast member and a partner who hasn’t appeared on the show since Season 17. Oh, and because Fields is also a “Real Housewife”, she is pretty much doomed from the outset. Nobody from the show has ever done well on DWTS. If she survives early, I expect a middle of the pack finish; she is up against some killers.

Marla Maples (with Tony Dovolani): 30/1

Bringing on Donald Trump’s ex is a bit of a head scratcher, but okay. She is paired with a fantastic dancer in Dovolani who, for whatever reason, keeps getting paired with women of a certain age who have no ballroom experience. For this duo to win, they will need near-perfect routines that are fun and entertaining from start to finish. The only reason why Maples is not at the bottom of this list is that Dovolani has proven he can make chicken salad out of chicken [redacted].

Doug Flutie (with Karina Smirnoff):35/1

Flutie is famous for his feet as he spent the majority of his football career dancing around massive defensive ends who wanted to take his head off. His partner, Karina Smirnoff, has been to the DWTS finale on multiple occasions, but she’s on a bit of a losing streak and doesn’t seem to do well with jocks. Flutie could be a surprise, but I think Antonio Brown and Von Miller will be the ones who show (again) that you can go from the gridiron to the dance floor. Flutie will need a Hail Mary-type of performance to win.

Geraldo Rivera (with Edyta Sliwinska): 40/1

It’s kind of risky for DWTS to put Rivera on the show, considering he has never met a camera he doesn’t like or an opportunity to say something politically charged or stupid. Fortunately his time on the show should be limited as he is paired with Sliwinska, who hasn’t been on DWTS since Season 10. For Rivera and Sliwinska to win the Mirrorball, they will have to be flawless. Rivera can dance around verbally but something tells me the same can’t be said for his feet.

Auxiliary Dancing with the Stars Season 22 Props:

Odds on who will be eliminated first on Dancing with the Stars Season 22
Geraldo Rivera (with Edyta Sliwinska): 3/1
Marla Maples (with Tony Dovolani): 4/1
Kim Fields (with Sasha Farber): 17/3
Doug Flutie (with Karina Smirnoff: 17/3
Wanya Morris (with Lindsay Arnold): 13/1
Nyle DiMarco (with Peta Murgatroyd): 15/1
Ginger Zee (with Val Chmerkovskiy): 19/1
Mischa Barton (with Artem Chigvintsev): 24/1
Von Miller (with Witney Carson): 33/1
Antonio Brown (with Sharna Burgess): 33/1
Paige VanZant (with Mark Ballas): 50/1

Odds that the celebrity winner of Dancing with the Stars Season 22 will be a woman: 2/3

Paige VanZant: 1/1
Antonio Brown: 3/1
Von Miller: 4/1
Doug Flutie: 19/1

 
Over/under on how many episodes Geraldo Rivera will last on Dancing with the Stars Season 22:

 
Odds Marla Maples is asked about Donald Trump during Dancing with the Stars Season 22: 1/1