Monday marks the finale of American Idol, and traders already have a clear favorite.
The 24th season is down to just three contestants: Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson. The market prices Harper at 77%, followed by McCullough at 17%, and Richardson at 7%.
Hannah Harper
Harper has had a strong run this season, and her latest performance secured her a spot in the final three. TVLine's Andy Swift gave her an A- for her rendition of Peggy Lee's "Fever." He also gave an A- for her duet with Season 5 contestant Kellie Pickler on Martina McBride's "A Broken Wing," the same song Pickler auditioned with two decades ago.
"Harper's smoky vocals were a perfect fit on the sultry classic, and the casual finger-snapping provided just enough stage presence to get the judges off her back," Swift wrote.
Jordan McCullough
McCullough chose Leona Lewis' "Footprints in the Sand" for his first semifinals performance and Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You” with Elliott Yamin as his second-round duet.
SI Lifestyle's Allie Hayes reported that judge Paula Abdul, who appeared with Randy Jackson as part of the special throwback theme, called his first performance "otherworldly." Hayes also reported that Luke Bryan remarked McCullough was one of the best singers he had ever seen on the show.
Abdul called his second performance a "Grammys duet performance," and Carrie Underwood said she "didn't have enough words" to describe how much she liked McCullough and Yamin's performance.
Keyla Richardson
Richardson chose Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" for her solo performance and Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" with Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks.
SI Lifestyle's Allie Hayes reported that judge Lionel Richie said he loved Richardson's "attitude," telling her, "I love the way you do your thing." Abdul called Richardson's voice a powerful "weapon" and "the mark of a true performer," though Abdul noted her whisper was not "equally as dangerous as your top note."
Despite strong showings from McCullough and Richardson, traders still price Harper as the clear favorite heading into Monday’s finale.
The takeaway:
Kalshi markets now predict:
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