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Tinashe the Favorite in Dancing with the Stars Season 27 Odds

Michael Harrison

by Michael Harrison in Entertainment

Updated Mar 26, 2020 · 3:40 PM PDT

Tinashe
Tinashe is the favorite to add a Mirrorball Trophy to her already impressive resume. Photo by Drew de F Fawkes (Flickr) [CC License].
  • Should Tinashe really be this big of a favorite?
  • Past trends could tell us who’s likely to contend
  • See the odds and best values here

Another exciting season of Dancing with the Stars gets underway Monday with the 27th installment of the hit ABC series.

There is an eclectic mix of talented performers including an NFL legend, the “most powerful man in country music”, an Olympic gymnast, the show’s first ever visually impaired contestant, and mega star Tinashe competing for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.

Odds to win Dancing with the Stars Season 27

Contestant  Odds
Tinashe +350
Bobby Bones +500
Mary Lou Retton +650
Evanna Lynch +650
Alexis Ren +750
Juan Pablo Di Pace +800
Joe Amabile +1000
Milo Manheim +1100
Nancy McKeon +1100
DeMarcus Ware +1200
Nikki Glaser +1200
Danelle Umstead +1400
John Schneider +2200

Will Tinashe wind up victorious?

Tinashe is the betting favorite and, given her popularity, it’s easy to see why.

Half of the point totals are generated by fans (the other half by judges) and Tinashe boasts over two million Instagram followers. Looking deeper indicates that oddsmakers shouldn’t be so bullish about her chances, however.

No first time pro dancer has claimed the title since Season 4

Tinashe is teamed up with professional dancer Brandon Armstrong, who is making his debut in the series. No first time pro dancer has claimed the title since Season 4.  All of the 26 first timers who have attempted to taste success since 2007 have swallowed the bitter pill of defeat.

With that in mind, let’s scratch Tinashe off the list of contenders.

Which professional dancers have won the most?

Professional Dancer Competitions Wins
Valentin Chmerkovskiy (McKeon) 13 2
Cheryl Burke (Di Pace) 20 2
Jenna Johnson (Amabile) 2 1
Lindsay Arnold (Ware) 7 1
Emma Slater (Schneider) 9 1
Witney Carson (Manheim) 9 1
Alan Bersten (Ren) 2 0
Sasha Farber (Retton) 5 0
Gleb Savchenko (Glaser) 5 0
Keo Motsepe (Lynch) 7 0
Artem Chigvintsev (Umstead) 7 0
Sharna Burgess (Bones) 11 0
Brandon Armstrong (Tinashe) N/A N/A

Nancy McKeon and Juan Pablo Di Pace are with dancers who have won twice.

Cheryl Burke went back-to-back in Seasons 2 and 3 but has been shut out since, which doesn’t bode well for Di Pace.

Bobby Bones’ partner Sharna Burgess is winless but was runner-up in seasons 21, 23 and 26, so a breakthrough could be looming. At only +500, however, is it worth the risk that Burgess will finally get the monkey off her back in her 12th try?

As for McKeon’s pro partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy, his results in the last seven reasons have been outstanding.

Valentin Chmerkovskiy Dancing With The Stars results

Season Result
19 3rd
20 1st
21 5th
22 3rd
23 1st
24 3rd
25 5th

Can popularity alone lead to victory?

Since Dancing with the Stars has a two-pronged voting structure, popularity and social media backing counts for a lot.

Instagram model Alexis Ren has a massive advantage over her competitors, given that she has nearly 13 million Instagram followers, by far more than her next closest competitor Tinashe. Evanna Lynch (of Harry Potter fame) is the only other celebrity with over a million Instagram followers.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Nancy McKeon, who has just eight thousand followers. That really throws a wrench into wanting to go all in with her.

Dancing with the Stars Value Picks

Alexis Ren (+750) is young and vibrant and full of energy. The social media backing is absolutely gargantuan. Four other competitors have shorter odds to win, which seems criminal, but good for us!

Coming off a wildly popular stint on ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise”, “Grocery Store” Joe Amabile (+1000) is teamed up with defending pro champ Jenna Johnson. Of note, there have been four instances of pro dancers repeating as champ in the history of the show.

Professional football players have fared well, with Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Donald Driver, and Rashad Jennings all tasting victory. Demarcus Ware (+1200) fits the same mold, and is also paired with Lindsay Arnold, who won two seasons ago.

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