If you believe the odds, Chicago will run away with the 2016 Olympic bid.
“They’re the red-hot favorite to get it,” said Sharon McHugh, spokeswoman for Paddy Power, Ireland’s biggest bookie.
But if you believe the past, the bettors’ blessing could turn curse. Just ask the French.
Paris appeared breezing to a bid for the 2012 Games, with Paddy Power bettors preferring them at a 70-30 clip over London when the books closed.
But the Brits pulled a fast one, with London the winner in the end.
In this year’s sweeps, the Dublin-based agency has Chicago running at 4-6 odds, with Tokyo lagging at 10-3, Rio de Janeiro limping at 7-2 and Madrid gasping at 8-1. British online bookie bet365.com also has Chicago clearly ahead at 4-6, with Rio and Tokyo in a tossup for silver and bronze.
Federal law forbids Americans from sponsoring bets or betting on such games.
So far there’s not a lot of money in the 2016 sweeps. Bettors have laid down a piddling 8,000 euros ($11,500) on Chicago, with 3,400 ($4,900) on Tokyo, 800 ($1,150) on Rio and 300 ($430) on Madrid, McHugh said.
Citing Paris, McHugh cautioned against overconfidence about a Chicago win. “London was a bit of a shock,” she deadpanned.