Hickory, a Scottish Deerhound, won last year's Best in Show.
Just because John Avello doesn’t take action on Tuesday’s Westminster Dog Show doesn’t mean that he won’t set some fun lines for the event. Avello, director of race and sportsbook operations at The Wynn Las Vegas, has set lines on the winning breed in the show every year since 2007 and lists the
Pekingese breed as a 6-1 favorite to win Best In Show for this year’s contest.
“When it comes to working out the odds, it’s all about instinct, intuition and networking,” Avello told
NBC Sports.
“There’s no doubt having a math background helps too. When I do my Oscar odds, I talk to Hollywood insiders and get what they’re thinking, and the same applies to other events like the Grammys and TV shows such as American Idol and The Apprentice."
There are six new breeds in this year’s competition, bringing the total breed count up to 185. Two other dogs garnering some major attention are a
black cocker spaniel named Beckham (7-1) and a
fox terrier named Eira (8-1)
“Nevertheless dog lovers have a lot of fun with it,” Avello said. “After all, it’s the most watched dog show in America.”
See all of Avello's odds for the event
here.