New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan is a longshot at the holy book to become Catholicism’s new world leader and first American pope.
Offshore oddsmakers have pegged Peter Turkson and Angelo Scola as slight favorites in a wide-open race to replace Pope Benedict XVI, who retired today in the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years.
Ghanaian Cardinal Turkson is nearly a 5-to-2 choice, according to various offshore bookies. Turkson’s papal hopes are pinned on conventional wisdom that cardinals want to pick a new leader from outside Europe, in a nod to the church’s new world growth.
G.N.Miller/New York Post
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan.
But several Italian cardinals, playing with home-field advantage, could just as easily emerge on top when a new man is picked, according to oddsmakers.
Archbishop of Milan Scola is a little more than a 5-to-2 selection, while Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone [5-to-1 consensus] and Archbishop of Genoa Angelo Bagnasco [9-to-1] are also in the mix.
Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet appears to be the third pick in most virtual sportsbooks, hovering at about 4-to-1.
Cardinal Dolan, the popular, jovial leader of Big Apple Catholics, is a longshot with odds anywhere between 10-to-1 and 25-to-1.
No American has ever been pope.
Even though Turkson has emerged as the gambling favorite, oddsmakers are struggling to peg the next most likely challengers.
For example, Bagnasco is a 5-to-1 pick at British book William Hill but a 12-to-1 longshot at BetUs.com.
Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze is a hot 4-to-1 selection at BetUs.com but a 25-to-1 dog at Bovada.lv.
“Anytime you are dealing with non-sports related odds, it’s always difficult as we are setting these odds based on what so-called experts are saying about each candidate,” said Bovada.lv sportsbook manager Kevin Bradley.
“We will monitor how each candidate is bet and that is why you will see some movement in these odds.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan longshot as oddsmakers peg favorites to replace Pope Benedict XVI
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Cardinal Timothy Dolan longshot as oddsmakers peg favorites to replace Pope Benedict XVI
