Here’s where Vegas odds put Democratic candidates ahead of the Nevada caucuses
Nevada Democrats already had four days of early voting, and, CNN reports, the state saw high turnout in the week leading up to the caucus. Bookmakers appear to agree that the safe money is on Sen. Bernie Sanders by a pretty wide margin.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has been falling in the polls in Nevada, while Sanders appears to be strengthening his lead, according to the political data site FiveThirtyEight. Pete Buttigeg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have been gaining ground but are still trailing behind in the polls, even after Warren’s performance in the Nevada debate that drew praise from supporters.
Betting site Bovada puts Sanders as the favorite at -900 to win the most delegates from Nevada, and puts the lines on both Biden and Buttigieg at +1,600. The site puts Warren at +2,000, with Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer at +5,000.
That means a $100 bet on Biden or Buttigieg would pay out $1,600 if one of them won the most delegates in the caucuses.
The site Jazz Sports has Sanders at -700.
The South Point sportsbook oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro gave Sanders -350 on winning the most Nevada caucus delegates, with Biden at +200, Warren at +1,200 and Buttigieg at +2,000, according to betting website The Lines.
Betting on elections is illegal in Nevada, according to the Las Vegas Sun News.
“I think it’s silly. It’s long overdue,” Vaccaro said, according to the Sun News. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, and I believe if they’d do it once, they’d say, ‘This isn’t as bad [as we thought].’”
So far in the primary season, Sanders looks like the favorite to win the nomination, with about a 50% chance of becoming the Democratic nominee, according to aggregate numbers from Real Clear Politics. Bloomberg is in second place to win the nomination, with about a 21% chance.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Here’s where Vegas odds put Democratic candidates ahead of the Nevada caucuses."
