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Spiteful Sharon's acts are already gone in X Factor betting

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Osbourne matriarch's theatrics rule out any one of her stable winning the competition

After spending the first week at her most vile and disgusting, Sharon Osbourne decided to pretend to be nice for week two. It didn't wash. But who cares? Findings suggest that Osbourne has a snowman's chance in Vegas of getting to the finals, with her two remaining acts in outer space in the betting. Neither is there anything in her track record as a mentor to suggest she knows how to make up lost ground on Louis Walsh or Simon Cowell, and she would have been well advised to head straight for Heathrow after her meltdown at the end of the first live show before she could wreck anyone else's dreams. It won't be the first time there's been a final without a solo under-25 female contestant - there wasn't in series one, when the mentor for the girls was ... also Sharon.

As a good indicator of who the producers think is going to do well, though, look for the act which closes the show. Only once outside of the semi finals-has the closing act been eliminated or even in the bottom two - the show has to finish on an inspiring high so as not alienate viewers by going out on a bum note. This is of more help in the elimination market, in that you can lay the closing singer with almost complete confidence, but it also increases their chances of winning as you know they are not going to be eliminated. The last two performers so far have been Hope and Niki, both strong challengers to make the final. If you can find a bet on Rhydian to close the show this week, then don't hesitate.

Working up from the bottom, Alisha has finished in the last two twice so her chance has gone. Leon can't dance and Emily can't sing. So write them off too. Then comes an intermediate group of big-eyed Andy, primary school teacher Beverley, and horrific brother/sister timewarp Same Difference, none of whom are likely to gather admirers in sufficient numbers to make the final. As family entertainment, Same Difference could send the divorce rate soaring.

There has always been a single man in the final two, which makes Rhydian (4.5 on betfair) look strong in spite of his weirdness and arrogance. Andy feels too plain and soppy to mount a challenge. There has always been a Simon Cowell act in the final three as well, which means a choice between Hope (5.4 on betfair) and Futureproof (6.6 on Betfair). The girls of Hope look a bit mismatched, and some of their styling seems to come from the world of wrestling, on top of which the demographics of the voters are more likely to lean toward a boy band. In series one G4 (boy band) made the final two, in series two the Journey South (male duo) made the final three, and last season the MacDonald Brothers were the group which lasted longest. Which leaves Niki (3.9 on betfair) - easily the best singer (Rhydian's scary operatics don't count), but also arguably too old, and lacking commercial potential. She is final material definitely, but her price as favourite is based on her performance so far, rather than her chance of capturing enough votes to win. So lay her.