X-Factor / Mike Norman / 01 December 2009 /

With just two weeks to go before this year's champion singer is crowned (and our battle of the tipsters is decided), "Mystical" Mike Norman is of the opinion that Olly and Danyl are still in with a great shout of winning.

Apologies for my absence last week folks, I was at some glittering awards ceremony to celebrate the cream of the nation's reality TV tipsters. Needless to say Jack Houghton wasn't there; he was subjected to his living room to watch re-runs of Bob Says Opportunity Knocks in a last ditch attempt to educate him on how to spot talent.

Some of you will think I'm being a tad brave bragging about my tipping prowess given that in my last X Factor piece I wrote that Jedward would make the last three, Lloyd would be in the bottom two, and that Joe McElderry was set to struggle. I was wrong, wrong and completely wrong.

But listen, please don't lose the faith. My army of fans will know that I don't just write about X Factor on these brilliant betting.betfair pages (yes I'm grovelling to save my job), I also write about football and golf. In the same week that I got my Jedward, Lloyd and Joe predictions wrong, I advised winners at [20.0], [18.0], [7.0], [3.8], [3.4] and [3.0] elsewhere on the site. You see, Betfair don't use me just because I know nothing about X Factor, they also use me because I know absolutely nothing about football and golf, but occasionally get lucky!

And so after Lloyd's belated departure on Sunday, just four performers remain in this year's X Factor competition, none of which should be a surprise to anyone.

Joe is the favourite to win now at a rather stingy looking [1.75]. Stacey Solomon can be backed at [4.9], followed by Olly Murs ([7.4]) and Danyl Johnson ([10.0]).

True, at one point I did think Jedward were gathering enough support to see them in with a chance of reaching the last three, but from the outset I said that Stacey would be the last remaining girl, Danyl and Joe were my selections to win, and that Olly was easily good enough to go all the way. Even Mr Houghton tipped up Joe and Olly early and mentioned Stacey as a possible winner - he's a quick learner that boy!

The one person that I definitely wouldn't like to be on at the moment - actually, that's not strictly true, but in betting terms at least - is Stacey. I always fancied her to go a long way in the competition but never at any point visualised her as winning - and that's still the case. As well as the fact that I don't think she is as good as previous winners Leona Lewis and Alexander Burke, I also don't think the public will want (for the third time in four years) another young female vocalist coming out on top.

To be honest, if you so far haven't had a bet on this year's X Factor, then (apart from asking why not) I see no harm in having a few quid on Olly and Danyl at [7.4] and [10.0] respectively.

The impressive performances of Joe in recent weeks have seen his odds shorten dramatically, but it's worth pointing out that in the last two months both Olly and Danyl have been at the head of the market at some stage and have traded at much shorter odds. Can you become a bad singer overnight? Personally I don't think so, I just think that Joe has peaked at precisely the right time, and as a consequence, the X Factor bandwagon has his name written all over it.

Backing both Olly and Danyl now will guarantee that you have at least one act in the final singing for your money, and we all know that the public can vote in mysterious ways on a Saturday night once the alcohol is flowing. Or is that just me?

In the 9th Elimination market Danyl is the favourite to get the chop at [2.14], followed by Olly ([2.98]), Stacey ([6.0]) and Joe ([16.0]). It's a no bet market for me this one, I will leave that up to my colleague Jack later in the week.

Oh and Jack, I nearly forgot to mention; watch out for Spit the Dog (or was it Royston Vasey?). I've heard he's a vile creature that made it in the big time. It's a funny old game this Reality TV tipping isn't it mate?

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