‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 23: Who Is The Odds-On Favorite To Win — Laurie Hernandez, Ryan Lochte, Or Amber Rose?
Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars is right around the corner, which means fans are about to be introduced to a fresh batch of competitors. Who has the best chance of taking home the coveted Mirrorball trophy?
According to TV Line, the team with the best odds of winning Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars is Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy. Hernandez is coming off a great run at the Rio Olympics as part of the gymnastics team. Not only does she boast a high level of flexibility, but she’s also already proven that she has enough grace and rhythm to make it far in the competition.
Coming in at a close second is Marilu Henner and her partner, Derek Hough. Although some fans might be quick to write off the former Taxi star, Henner has been taking dancing lessons since childhood. She isn’t an expert on the dance floor, but her experience certainly gives her an advantage over other contestants.
Just got this! I'm so excited! It's really real now! pic.twitter.com/5NluxsPIVo
— Marilu Henner (@TheRealMarilu) September 10, 2016
It’s been a long time since an NFL star has made it far into the season, yet that might change this year.
Calvin Johnson and his partner Lindsay Arnold are currently sitting at 6-1 odds to win it all. While Donald Driver was the last pro football player to win the Mirrorball, Arnold gives Johnson a leg up on the other athletes this season. If Arnold can teach Johnson to be light on his feet, then they could make it deep into the season.
Sadly, other contestants aren’t as lucky. In fact, Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke are at 25-1 odds for taking home the final prize. Lochte has a lot of ground to make up after his fiasco in Rio, but he might be able to use the buzz to his advantage.
At the same time, Amber Rose has slightly better odds than Lochte, but only because she is teamed up with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Chmerkovskiy has been in the Dancing with the Stars finale five times over the course of his 14 seasons on the show and took home the Mirrorball once. He definitely has his work cut out with Rose, whose dancing skills remain to be tested.
However, all of these contestants pale in comparison to Rick Perry and Emma Slater, whose odds of winning this season are at 50-1.
Aside from the aforementioned contestants, this season features a motley crew of talent, including Jake T. Austin, Vanilla Ice, Maureen McCormick, Jana Kramer, and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.
According to ABC, Len, Bruno, and Carrie Ann are returning as judges this season and will be joined by a few surprise guest judges. Julianne Hough also confirmed that she will return as a judge, though it is not known if she will be a guest judge or a member of the panel all season.
For those that can’t wait until the season premiere to meet the contestants, E! Online released a special introduction video on some of this year’s teams. The video includes Henner and Terra Jole discussing their love for DWTS, while Hinchcliffe opens up about his 2015 accident.
Great interview, @EmilyYahr … After a decade of #DWTS here’s what still surprises host Tom Bergeron https://t.co/8VRmAE5gHQ
— DWTSGossip (@DWTSGossip) September 12, 2016
Meanwhile, Just Jared is reporting that Monday night’s theme and song list has officially been released. The two-hour premiere will feature each team dancing the Foxtrot, Jive, Viennese Waltz, or the Cha Cha. The event will take place at the Griffith Observatory and will be the largest opening in the history of the show.
Songs range from One Direction’s “Kiss You” to “That’s What I like” by Flo Rida and Michael Buble’s “Call Me Irresponsible.”
None of the contestants will be eliminated during Week 1, though fans will get to vote for their favorite number.
Fans can watch their favorite celebrity teams compete for the Mirrorball trophy when Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars premieres September 12 on ABC.
Tell us! Who do you think will win Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars? Let us know in the comments and check out the cast in the clip below.
[Image via ABC]
