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Carrie Stroup here with your Dancing With The Stars betting odds for this season's finale.
While Gilles Marini may be the favorite, he is in no way a "lock".
Marini would pay $1 on a $2 bet ($3 total is paid out should he win). Melissa Rycroft pays $2 for every $1 bet while Shawn Johnson pays $2.50 for every $1 bet. In the case of Marini there is more of a risk involved, albeit small.
"Through the entire season he has been intriguing," says former DWTS winner and Olympic figure skating champion, Kristi Yamaguchi of Marini, who earned a perfect score of 60 for his two dances last week. "He has a flair about him - and a sex appeal. ... His Argentine tango was incredible. It was like watching a professional team. He has amazing chemistry with Cheryl."
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Yamaguchi admires the competitive fire in Marini, but also wants him to chill out just a bit. "It's obvious that he really, really wants to win," she says. "You don't want to get too stressed-out, though. The show is almost over. You want to relax and have good memories of those final days."
Marini did not open the season as the favorite. That honor goes to Shawn Johnson, the Olympic gymnast. Marini replaced her as the favorite after approximately two weeks.
"From the get-go, she has shown amazing potential," Yamaguchi says of Johnson, who, at 17, is the show's youngest-ever contestant. "She took the competition seriously and really wanted to learn. She has steadily improved week-to-week."
Melissa Rycroft was not even supposed to participate in this season's show, but an injury to Jewel changed all that and Rycroft immediately found herself ranked among the top three favorites.
"She's an amazing all-around dancer," Yamaguchi says of the woman who, after getting jilted on "The Bachelor," was a late addition to the show. "She can be elegant in the waltz, and she can really move and shake it for the Latin dances. She was able to break out of that ballerina label thrust upon her ... and the way she overcame a (fractured) rib injury showed her toughness and desire."
"It has been a tight race between these three since Day One," says Payton O'Brien of Gambling911.com.
At one point oddsmakers had all three contestants within a half point of one another.
In recent seasons the show has attracted plenty of online gamblers and the numbers of people betting on Dancing With The Stars continues to grow as ratings improve.
You can find Dancing With The Stars betting odds at Sportsbook.com
Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
