Betting Guide

One of if not the best voice in the competition but Albania comes across very screamy and it would be a surprise if this made an impression in the final.

Austria switch from a pleasant ballad in 2011 to this monstrosity 12 months later. Trackshittaz by name and, yes, the track is...not my cup of tea.

The defending champs hope to retain their crown with a song that wouldn't look out of place on a James Bond soundtrack. A fifth successive top 10 finish certainly isn't out of the question.

Forgettable inoffensive ballad which will do well to progress to the final.

An excellent semi-final draw will ensure Bosnia and Herzegovina maintain their record of never being eliminated before the final but there are better ballads and another late draw is essential if this is to break the top 10.

Bulgaria have only reached the final once and this pop/dance number will stuggle to improve that record. An average song at best and the lack of backing singers or dancers gives the impression no one has bothered to turn up to the party.

One of a number of female sung ballads. Croatia doesn't stand out from the crowd and, as such, will do well to make it out of their semi.

Just one final appearance in their last six attempts but having a guaranteed douze points in the bag from Greece could just about push them over the line this time. Would benefit significantly if their neighbours failed to make it out of the semi too.

Difficult not to make comparisons with Sweden 2010 which narrowly failed to qualify for the final. Coming right before the Russian grannies may mean this is forgotten and even a surprise non-qualifier but, either way, would do really well to justify current position as sixth favourites.

One of a few male ballads vying for the same vote. A good semi-final draw will assist qualification prospects but would be very reliant on something similar in the final.

Oddly dropped the dancer from the national finals that helped make this stand out. I still like this but fear it will need a big jury boost now to get into the final.

Only one top 10 finish in the last nine years but this can go close to changing that. Needed a better draw to really threaten as a contender though.

Not a fan and being the second song on won't help FYROM's chances one bit.

Have the mute button ready when this comes on. Georgia's 100% qualifying record looks certain to come to an end. Diabolical.

Following in Lena's footsteps was a thankless task but Germany have presented a decent enough male ballad with a superb draw in the final. If Serbia and Hungary are both on early this could do considerably better than the odds might suggest.

Greece's entry bears large similarities to Kalomira who finished third in 2008. The re-introduction of the jury vote since then makes a similar result unlikely though. Even a ninth successive top ten finish could be in jeopardy if the Greek disapora aren't out in force for Eleftheria.

Duets have an excellent record in recent years and Iceland's chances of continuing that trend are good. There's no other song really like it this year and the duo have look polished in early rehearsals. This should appeal to juries and viewers alike and, given a good final draw, could even go one better than Yohanna did in 2009.

Jedward are Jedward. The song isn't a masterpiece but ultimately it's good fun and the twins are undeniably infectious. Getting the plum semi-final draw should prove key in taking them to another final but, as with I'm A Celebrity, X-Factor and Big Brother, don't expect to see Jedward winning.

Israel stand out coming directly after Finland and Belgium though I feel they've missed a trick by not really going for it performance-wise. Hard to call in terms of qualification.

I must admit this song has grown on me in advance of this year's contest with the mix of Italian and English working better than the original version. Winning from 10th in the running order would be some going though, so it's hard to support at current odds.

As ever it's impossible to fault the enthusiasm of the Maltese and that really comes across in their performance. This has actually taken a big step forward since being selected but an early draw means qualification remains tough to achieve.

Vying for the same 'fun' vote as neighbours Romania, Ireland and, to some extent, even Russia. This is good fun and has a great draw to boot. Those looking for a lively outsider could do worse than back the Moldovans.

Montenegro have made a great effort with their video this year but there isn't the slightest chance of the song appealing to mainstream Europe so Rambo Amadeus won't be gracing the final.

How best to make it eight failures to qualify for a final in succession? Dress someone up as a Native American but don't mention it in the song itself so they look and sound like they'd rather not be there.

Describing this as a poor mans 'Popular' may be harsh but it's probably fair. That said, the Swedes were runners-up last year so a decent result isn't out of the question.

Underwhelming and forgettable. Non-qualifier.

You'd expect the Russian grannies to go down a storm with many viewers but the feeling remains that juries won't want this winning. Could conceivably win; could totally bomb once votes are combined. I'd be in the latter camp.

I can't stand this, yet I can't deny its catchiness. For my own sanity this mustn't qualify.

Not for the first time, Serbia benefits from being the standout Balkan act of the contest. Being a ballad, a late draw in the final (not directly after Germany) is key if they are to contend for victory, but a first top 10 finish since 2008 looks assured regardless.

Composed by Vladimir Graic of Moltiva fame and the similarities are clear to see. 16-year-old Eva Boto obviously doesn't have the same presence as Marija Sefirovic did in 2007 but, nonetheless, I have a sneaky suspicion this is being underestimated.

For once, there are a number of positives for Spain. Polling well, sung very well and handed a great final draw. As negatives, there are better songs and the Spanish Eurovision record in recent years is truly abysmal.

Kate Bush meets Jean Michel Jarre for this year's strong favourite and performance wise it certainly scores highly. Loreen is topping most pre-show polls but, with the possibility of a split Scandinavian vote and the final draw unknown as yet, it may be better looking for value elsewhere.

Ukraine show Bulgaria how best to do a pop/dance track. Not one of their better songs but still enough about it to maintain their 100% qualification record.

Being drawn first in the final probably put a huge dent in the UK's hopes of recording a good result. Engelbert does what you'd expect and does it well so shouldn't be embarrased but British bookmakers making him their fourth favourite are surely a tad optimistic.