My pre-preliminary event picks for the Miss Universe 2016 pageant (these picks and notes will get hidden in a spoiler after the preliminary event is over, which is when I'll finalize my Top 15 picks:
Preliminary competition: January 26 @ 3am PST / 6am EST
Final competition: January 29 @ 7pm PST / 7pm EST (tape delay on the West Coast)
Betting: Bookmaker had various types of live betting available last year, so keep checking during each round.
My Miss Universe 2015 results:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/o...ost-your-bets.3127337/page-131#post-111854023
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Quick notes:
- Brunettes have won the Miss Universe pageant the last 11 years in a row.
- Miss Philippines has made it into the top-5 in the last 5 out of 6 years.
- Miss Philippines won Miss Universe in 2015.
- T5 = Top-5 in alphabetical order.
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T5: Costa Rica
T5: Mexico
T5: Panama
T5: Philippines
T5: Venezuela
On the bubble of Top 5: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Kosovo, Panama
Barbados: The first title holder of Barbados in over nine years. Great smile, looks American but has a tiny bit of an island accent that she can turn up or down depending on if she thinks it will impress people (Americans are easily impressed by accents). She beat a bunch of black women to win the title of Mss Barbados. Top 15.
Brazil: She is sexy, has wild hair, and a good body. Brazil held the Winter Olympics recently, so she might get love for that. She has wild hair, a great body, and a large smile that will get her into the Top 15, but I think her sexy and seductive look is akin to the chick who you want to have wild times with but not take her home to meet your parents so you can marry her.
Cayman Islands: Speaks well, beautiful smile and teeth, and not too dark. Good enough for Top 15, but not good enough for Top 5 due to her not being petite enough and black girls generally have the odds stacked against them.
Colombia: She works with little kids and kids with special needs. Family first.
Costa Rica: Top 5. Good look, good body, nature lover and protector, and helps her community and country instead of a single charity (most contestants work with a single charity that helps kids, elderly people, and sickly people).
Ecuador: She is an Agribusiness Engineer and graduated from the “most difficult university in Latin America.” She is super charitable, young, looks cute when just staring with a basic look, but her smile lights up the room. She works in a male-dominated field. Top 10.
Haiti: Haiti has suffered a lot over the past years with earthquakes, and most recently Hurricane Matthew – sympathy from judges and a sense of overcoming obstacles. Skin tone isn’t too dark, speaks well, works with kids, and wants to help her country overcome the struggles they’ve had. Top 15.
Indonesia: Top 15, fringe Top 5, possibly a sleeper pick. Tall, good smile, and has a degree in Informatics Engineering (she does PHP coding and made an Indonesian tourism and culture app).
Japan: Top 15.
Kosovo: The first woman not originally from Kosovo to win the Miss Kosovo Pageant – she’s originally from Argentina. She looked like a basic Latina in her pre-event interview, but all of her recent pictures during this past week have been stunning, even when she’s just taking selfies. Top 15 for sure, fringe Top 5.
Malaysia: Top 15. She has Indian ancestry and crushes Miss India.
Mexico: Top 5 for sure.
Myanmar: Top 15.
Nicaragua: Fringe Top 5. She speaks English with no Spanish accent, but is able to speak her dialect of Spanish perfectly. She was a legit amateur soccer player when she was younger. She looks white, but is Latin, which is a plus.
Panama: Top 15, fringe top 5.
Peru: Top 15. She looked basic in her pre-event interview, but looks better in recent pictures. I think all of these chicks begin cutting weight once their airplane lands, kind of like MMA fighters.
Philippines: Top 5. Miss Philippines has made it into the Top 5 in the last 5 out of 6 years, and Miss Philippines 2015 is the current title holder.
Puerto Rico: Top 15, but not Top 5. She has the look that many men found exotic and sexy during the 1980s amongst Latin women. She doesn’t have the “it” factor that past Miss Puerto women have had when they won Miss Universe.
Spain: Top 15. Tall, light skin, and doesn’t look Latin.
Thailand: Great skin color, reminiscent of Tia Carrere in the 1990s, which is one of the two looks that the Western world gravitates to for Asians. Great smile and good seductive look.
Turkey: Something about her screams Top 15, but not Top 5.
Uruguay: Potential Top 15, but her young face and thin body will keep her out of the Top 5. If she competed in this event when she was 22-25, instead of 19-years-old, she would’ve had a much better chance at winning once her body filled out a bit more.
USA: Deshauna Barber is the first woman actively serving in the US Army Reserve to win the title of Miss USA. Deshauna has been spending her year as Miss USA working directly with soldiers suffering from PTSD and focusing on suicide prevention in the Armed Forces. She beat a FINE woman to win the title of Miss USA. Her mom died shortly after she won the title, and she has the military thing going for her. Good smile, dark skinned black girl, nice teeth. She is Top 10 due to her background. Could be a sleeper pick.
Venezuela: She’s the best looking blonde, yet she is Latina.
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Bookmaker Lines: opening lines on the left side, current lines on the right side (as of January 25, 2017)
Belgium +1200 | +1235
Bolivia +1200 | +1240
Brazil +900 | +915
Colombia +230 | +230
Costa Rica +1700 | +1760
Ecuador +3000 | +3165
France +1450 | +1490
Indonesia +2500 | +2620
Mexico +700 | +710
Netherlands +1000 | +1020
Nicaragua +2000 | +1530
(biggest line movement)
Panama +1500 | +1550
Peru +1200 | +1235
Philippines +1800 | +1860
Puerto Rico +1300 | +1315
Thailand +2500 | +2615
Turkey +1800 | +1860
Venezuela +1000 | +1020
Field (any other contestant) +900 | +785
(second biggest line movement)
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Other Thoughts
- I originally liked Miss Dominican Republic, but she is 6’2, has a long neck, and she has braces on the bottom half of her teeth that she hides when she does her modeling smile. She is pretty, but I don’t think she’ll win. If she was 5’10 and didn’t have braces on her bottom grill, I think she’d be in the Top 5. If she makes it in the Top 15, bet her line to be in the Top 5; Bookmaker will offer this prop.
- Miss Australia is super cute and could easily get into the Top 15, but she looks like a little girl and won’t be taken seriously enough to win the title.
- Miss Nigeria is the winner of the “Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2015,” as well as Miss Nigeria 2016. She looks good, has a sexy body, is young, and smart, but she lacks the “it” factor.