Sports Personality of the Year Odds: Examining the six contenders for SPOTY 2022
After another enthralling year of sport, we are now on the cusp of finding out who will win the 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
The six nominees have been revealed - Jessica Gadirova, Beth Mead, Eve Muirhead, Ben Stokes, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jake Wightman - with the winner crowned live on BBC on Wednesday, 21 December following a public vote which will take place during the show.
Below we analyse the six names in the frame and check out their odds to win the 69th edition of the gong...
Beth Mead (Football)
Beth Mead has been the odds-on favourite ever since she played a pivotal part in leading the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory back in July.
Mead was on fire during the tournament, smashing in six goals - including a hat-trick - en route to winning the Golden Boot, while she also registered a tournament-high five assists. Mead's stunning displays deservedly saw her named Player of the Tournament.
Mead's huge 2022 tally of 20 international goals - in 19 matches - saw the player break Jimmy Greaves' 61-year-old record for the most goals scored in a season by an England player.
The Arsenal star has already scooped the England Player of the Year, BBC Women's Footballer of the Year, and the Sports Journalists' Association Sportswoman of the Year awards, now she's priced at just 1/33 to add SPOTY to her rapidly growing collection.
Ben Stokes (Cricket)
In truth, it does seem like Beth Mead has this one wrapped up, but you never know, we could be in store for a surprise or two on Wednesday night.
Mead's main challenger is likely to be a former recipient of the award: 2019 victor Ben Stokes.
You really do run out of superlatives when it comes to Stokes, who has just capped off another sensational year by captaining England to a historic 3-0 Test win over Pakistan: Stokes' ninth win in 10 Tests as skipper since taking on the role in April, an incredible record.
Stokes memorably starred as England won the ICC T20 World Cup, scoring an unbeaten 52 in the defeat of Pakistan.
Stokes is a best-priced 16/1 with Paddy Power to now go on and became a multiple SPOTY winner, which would see him join an elite sporting dinner party that features Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Nigel Mansell, Henry Cooper, and Damon Hill.
Ronnie O'Sullivan (Snooker)
Ronnie O'Sullivan features at 25/1, 40/1, even 80/1.
The snooker star won his seventh World Championship this year after beating Judd Trump 18-13 in the Final. The success meant he drew level with Stephen Hendry's modern-era record of seven world titles.
This win fired The Rocket to the top of the SPOTY market, however he was then replaced at the summit of the betting in July following Mead's heroics.
Unfortunately, history isn't on O'Sullivan's side. Not only has he never won the award - a disgrace given all of his achievements - but the last snooker winner dates all the way back to 1988 when Steve Davis came out on top: Davies remains the only victor from the sport.
In fact, a snooker player hasn't even featured in the top three since Stephen Hendry finished 2nd in 1987.
O'Sullivan has previously hit out at the award, saying:
"You’re competing with Formula One, tennis, golf and the Olympics.
"They give it like 10 seconds on BBC Sports Personality - it’s a complete insult to the sport.
"But it’s what they think of it and what they believe it warrants, and that says it all really."
Eve Muirhead (Curling)
Eve Muirhead is also out at 100/1 to win SPOTY 2022, available with both Betfair and Paddy Power.
It may seem like quite a while ago now but back in February, Muirhead memorably led the Great Britain women's team to curling gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics after beating Japan 10-3 in the Final - it was GB's only gold in Beijing.
Muirhead also won a mixed doubles world championship gold in 2022, before drawing the curtains on a fantastic career in August, retiring in style as a current European, World and Olympic champ.
Jake Wightman (Athletics)
Speaking of gold medals, Jake Wightman struck gold in the 1500m at the World Championships in Oregon.
In a thrilling finish, Wightman powered past Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to cross the line - his face was an absolute picture of disbelief - as he became the first British man to win 1500m world gold since Steve Cram in 1983.
Wightman enhanced his 2022 medal tally through the addition of an 800m silver at the European Championships and 1500m bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
The male athlete of the year at the Scottish Sports Awards also broke Tom McKean’s 33-year-old Scottish 800m record of 1:44.95, with a time of 1:43.65.
Jessica Gadirova (Gymnastics)
You'll also find gymnastics star Jessica Gadirova priced at 100/1 with the likes of William Hill, Paddy Power, Betfair and bet365.
Gadirova claimed three medals at the World Championships; securing floor gold, silver in the team event, and bronze in the all-around competition. In the process, she became only the fifth British gymnast to be named an individual world champion.
Over in the European Championships, the 18-year-old won floor gold and team silver.
In November, Gadirova was named Young Sportswoman of the Year by the Sunday Times, and she's in the running to win the BBC Young Sports Personality 2022, where she'll come up against Sky Brown and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.
