X Factor update: Has Matt Terry already got this series sewn-up?

We’re one weekend closer to finding out who’ll be crowned this year’s X Factor winner. But if the betting is anything to go by, Matt Terry can start looking for a new cabinet to put the trophy in, as his odds are now shorter than any other contestant this year to date.

The opening weekend of live shows brought with it little in the way of surprises, as long-time favourite Matt wowed the judges with his rendition of Grace’s ‘You Don’t Own Me’, while even-money favourites to face the boot, Bratavio, were sent packing.

Emily Middlemas was as short as 3/1 to win the competition on Saturday evening after her performance. But a flurry of bets on 5 After Midnight in the last 48 hours has seen the trio leapfrog the 18-year-old Scot into second-favouritism at 4/1 while Emily has drifted out to 7/1.

But when it comes to standout performances, a special mention has to go to Relley C, who received one of the only standing ovations of the night.

Many expected the Brummie to be the first act to leave the competition, and while it was 2/1 for her to do just that prior to her performances, punters could have cashed in on her being the first act to be announced safe on Sunday at odds of 14/1 last week.

And as a result of her performance, our traders have slashed her odds of winning the show from 50/1 to just 20s in the space of two days.

In fact, the 27–year-old strikes numerous comparisons to former X Factor runner-up Fleur East.

For starters, both appeared on the show in earlier series’, and seem to have gone through the earlier stages unnoticed, taking the live shows by storm.

Is it too early to draw such comparisons to one of the most successful acts to come out of the show in recent years? That’s as may be, but if our Act and Week continues to impress all four judges, it can only be a matter of time before her odds take a further tumble.

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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing