Sixteen weeks are in the books for the 14th season of America’s Got Talent, the country’s favorite competition program focusing on a wide variety of expertise and ability.
After last night’s performances by the AGT Top 10 contestants, the winner will be announced tonight during NBC’s two-hour live season finale.
For months, Kodi Lee, a 22-year old blind and autistic musical prodigious savant, has been this season’s favorite to win it all.
In May, the gifted singer and pianist led the pack with +500 odds ($100 bet wins $500) and had +250 odds of taking the crown in 2019 just last week.
Now, with everything in the books, Lee is the overwhelming favorite with the BetOnline odds listing him at -200 chance to win.
Lee’s final performance was a rendition of Freya Ridings “Lost Without You,” a version that Simon Cowell called “one of the most beautiful things” he has ever heard.
https://youtu.be/6bwK05Oja2c
And Lee is not the only young musician that’s beat the odds in real life and hopes to win AGT this season.
Tyler Butler-Figueroa, an 11-year-old violinist and leukemia survivor, performed Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” during last night’s final performances.
After finishing, judges Gabrielle Union, Julianne Hough, and Howie Mandel all agreed that Butler-Figueroa saved his best outing for last.
Butler-Figueroa has the second-best odds of all the finalists, coming in at +300 odds to take season 14.
https://youtu.be/hP_Vmf453s8
Rounding out the top three is Ryan Niemiller. With +700 of winning AGT, Niemiller has the distinction of being the only comedian among this season’s finalists.
The self-proclaimed “Cripple Threat of Comedy,” Niemiller was born with ectrodactyly, a congenital disorder that involves the absence of central hand or foot digits. Through his comedy, he shares a unique view of the world through his eyes.
Niemiller made one final comedic appeal to voters at the closing of his set: “if you don’t vote for me, it’s technically a hate crime.”
Barely behind Niemiller in odds is V. Unbeatable, a dance group from Mumbai, India, with a +750 chance of winning. Known for their high-flying stunts and complex dance routines, V. Unbeatable impressed the judges with their final routine.
“I have never seen anything like this,” Mandel said.
Cowell echoed the sentiment: “Rarely do we see an act in the first audition do something as good in the finals. That would have been a Golden Buzzer.”
https://youtu.be/aiNFENYmZkk
Outside of these four acts, the chances of becoming the AGT champion is considered a bit of a longshot for the rest of the finalists—but not for lack of talent or sincerity.
Benicio Bryant (+1000) wowed the crowd with his original track while Emanne Beasha (+1600) belted on an Italian opera classic on her 11th birthday.
To compare the odds of every finalist from AGT’s 14th season, a list is provided below. The winner of the $1 million prize and their own Las Vegas show will be announced tonight live on NBC during a two-hour special starting at 8 pm ET.
Odds to win the 14th season of America’s Got Talent
- Kodi Lee -200
- Tyler Butler-Figueroa +300
- Ryan Niemiller +700
- Unbeatable +750
- Benicio Bryant +1000
- Emanne Beasha +1600
- Detroit Youth Choir +2000
- Light Balance Kids +2500
- Ndlovu Youth Choir +3300
- Voices of Service +3300
