We’ve already covered Joe Biden’s ascent up the odds boards as Democratic cities descend into chaos, but the gains he’s made on Donald Trump – at least in bettors’ eyes – have been substantial, and they’re now reflected at almost every Vegas election betting site.
Take a look at the following odds, and you’ll see just how much each line has moved:
2020 US Presidential Election Odds
Via BetOnline
- Joe Biden -130
- Donald Trump +100
- Hillary Clinton +1600
- Andrew Cuomo +5000
- Michelle Obama +7500
- Mike Pence +10000
- The Rock +10000
- Mark Cuban +12500
- Elizabeth Warren +15000
- Nikki Haley +15000
Via Bovada
- Joe Biden -110
- Donald Trump EVEN
- Hillary Clinton +4000
- Michelle Obama +8000
- Mike Pence +8000
- Andrew Cuomo +10000
- Nikki Haley +12500
Via MyBookie
- Donald Trump -120
- Joe Biden -110
- Hillary Clinton +3000
- Mike Pence +8000
- Michelle Obama +6000
- Nikki Haley +12500
- Andrew Cuomo +6000
BetOnline was the first to see the odds flip in Biden’s favor, as he erased a 40-point deficit as is now up by 30, -130 to Trump’s +100 (EVEN).
But now, Bovada – the most popular political betting site in America – has also flipped for Uncle Joe, who was down +100 to Trump’s -120 just a few days ago. And at MyBookie, where Trump has always held his biggest lead re the Presidential odds, Biden has closed the gap by 50 points, having been behind -160 to +100.
Across the board, the odds are as tight as they’ve been this election cycle, and it’s all in Biden’s favor.
Over the last week, combining the action at all three major sportsbooks, Biden Vegas odds have experienced a 150-point swing. It probably reminds ol’ Joe about Corn Pop and the metal chain he swung around at the Delaware pool so many years ago:
Of course, these shifts are probably unsustainable.
As cities nationwide restore normalcy in the streets after the George Floyd riots peter out and businesses begin to open up after the long coronavirus shutdown, Trump’s odds to win will likely take over again.
It could happen in the next few days, in fact, as Trump is holding an anticipated press conference Friday afternoon about the dramatically improving state of the economy, job market, and stock market. These are his strengths, and 40 million out-of-work Americans may be a bit more moved by such news than they were by these flash-in-the-pan protests or a glorified flu bug.
And, as you can see above, there are some decidedly non-Trump, non-Biden odds of interest available, too.
For some unfathomable reason, BetOnline has Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson right in the middle of the pack to be the next President of the United States, and he’s trending 5000 points higher than Elizabeth Warren (who was, if you’ll recall, the one-time Democratic odds favorite to take the party ticket in November).
Why Johnson is even on the boards is anyone’s guess, but there’s little doubt that he would give DJT a run for his money in the slogan department. Trump borrowed MAGA from Ronald Reagan’s campaign to great effect, so perhaps The Rock could borrow the “Rock The Vote” ad campaign for his!
Other compelling Vegas political props you can place right now include the following, both from BetOnline:
Will George W. Bush endorse Joe Biden?
- No -600
- Yes +350
Will President Trump Unveil Obama’s White House Portrait?
- No -1000
- Yes +500
The Bush endorsement prop is especially interesting.
While it seems unlikely on the surface, Dubya is much more Biden than Trump in terms of foreign and domestic policy, and there have been pundit whisperings of just such an endorsement from credible news outlets (if “credible” is the right word).
Per the Hill and Fox News analyst contributor Juan Williams, such an endorsement could be election-changing:
“There is no question about whom Carter, Clinton and Obama plan to support.
That leaves Bush holding the biggest stick here. Groups of leading conservative thinkers in The Lincoln Project and a new group including several former top GOP officials called Republican Voters Against Trump have set the table for Bush to speak up.
If he announces he is voting for Biden, it will change some votes.”
While we doubt such a hat-tip would change the election in any appreciable way – people are historically reticent to cross party lines and Trump’s base – as Van Jones has pointed out – is uniquely “intense,” it would certainly boost Biden further on the odds boards in the short term.
As such, while you can get the best payouts on Trump reelection right now, you might want to wait a day or two to see if Bush Light (Trump’s nickname for George H. W. Bush is “Bush Original,” so we’re connecting the dots) actually comes out for Biden. If that happens, your Trump payouts will be even better.
So, who ya got?
And more importantly, how much ya got on ‘em?