Twenty four acts were whittled down to half that number in the Judges’ Houses stage of the X Factor but all is not lost for the unlucky dozen who didn’t get the nod from judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger.
The show is to be a given a twist which will see viewers able to vote for a reprieve for their favourites. One wildcard from each category – the Boys, the Girls, the Overs and the Groups – will go through to the live shows.
Now the cynical half of me is thinking that this just another way for Simon Cowell to squeeze a bit more out of his cash cow – I’d recommend everyone who likes talent shows to read Ben Elton’s ‘Chart Throb’. It may be fiction but it introduces the reader into a world in which nothing may be quite as it seems.
The eights acts who don’t get a second chance are going to be heart-broken all over again, of course, but what does that matter if the viewing figures are maintained?
Bookmakers have already decided that they know the winner of X Factor 2017 with Grace Davies a very solid 5/2 favourite in the Winning Act market. Davies, a 20-year-old singer/songwriter from Blackburn is already being called the next Adele but the warehouse worker has a long way to go before scaling those heights. Teenager Holly Tandy is a best 4/1 and the closest in the betting to Davies. Judge Osbourne put both forward so it’s no surprise to see Ozzy’s ex as favourite to be Winning Manager with Marathonbet at Evens (10/11 elsewhere).
There is really very little value in any of the betting for this year’s X Factor so that Evens is starting to look attractive for any bettor seeking an angle. Sharon also has Rae-Elle Williams on her side in the Winning Manager betting.
Marathonbet, who are an independent operator established themselves back in 1997 so have a good history behind them and you may well have seen them on the High Streets of the UK through their branded shops.
They have a popular and packed sportsbook running on their website and have partnered up with major English soccer clubs as well. Marathonbet is a solid and well-performing online operator. The sportsbook that they have is pretty varied and the layout of the website is designed to be as straightforward as it can possible be to give you a hassle free betting experience.
X Factor 2017 Winning Act Betting
Grace Davies 5/2, Holly Tandy 4/1, Rak-Su 5/1, Sean and Conor Price 8/1, The Cutkelvins 12/1, Matt Linnen 22/1, Rae-Elle Williams 25/1, Lloyd Macey, Sam Black, Kevin Davy White and Spencer Sutherland 33/1
