2020 US Presidential Odds: Trump Favored

Even though the 2020 US Presidential election is still 20 months away, election season is already heating up. And 2020 US Presidential odds have already hit the sportsbooks.

A seemingly endless array of candidates representing the Democratic Party have already tossed their hats into the ring, each hoping to outlast the primary field en route to ousting President Donald Trump from the White House.

But interestingly enough, with Trump’s approval rating hovering at just 39 percent – the lowest mark in modern history per Gallup’s latest polling data – the Republican Party is widely believed to be exploring internal challengers to its controversial incumbent.

After the sideshows and spectacles that defined the 2016 Presidential race, running to win the “Leader of the Free World” role has become a serious business for politically-minded bettors.

Accordingly, online sportsbook Bovada has posted 2020 US Presidential odds on all the candidates – both declared and still deciding – to become either the 46^th President of the United States or  just another historical footnote.

2020 US Presidential Odds

Crowded Field Highlighted by Career Politicians and Celebrities

All told, you’ll find 57 prospective candidates for President listed on Bovada’s 2020 betting board.

But with the lower tiers rounded out by novelty candidates like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (+12500), Kanye West (+15000), and Tom Brady (+25000), it’s helpful to focus on the most competitive contenders.

That leaves 31 candidates who are currently listed at 100 to 1 or better on taking the White House two Novembers from now.

Backed by the power of incumbency, Trump himself tops the list as a huge (+175) favorite to win a second four-year term. At 70 years and 220 days of age on Inauguration Day, the former real estate mogul turned reality TV star was already the oldest President to take the oath of office two years ago, so Trump would be a 78-year old man upon completion of a potential second term.

Ironically enough, Trump’s closest challengers based on the odds are Bernie Sanders (+650) and Joe Biden (+650), both of whom would beat out the “Oldest President” mark by nearly a decade. Sanders, a Democratic Senator out of Vermont, would be 79 when sworn in, while former Democratic Vice President Biden would be 78.

With the average life expectancy for Americans topping out at 78.7 years, both Sanders and Biden are facing doubters based on their age alone.

On the other end of the spectrum, rising Democratic stars Kamala Harris (+650), Beto O’Rourke (+900), Andrew Yang (+2200), and Peter Buttigieg (+2800) clock in at 54, 46, 44, and 37, respectively.

Harris and O’Rourke both boast Congressional experience, with Harris a sitting Senator from California and O’Rourke serving Texas in the House of Representatives between 2012 and 2016.

Steve Bannon – the former advisor to President Trump who steered the latter’s successful campaign – has gone on record as saying a Harris / O’Rourke ticket offers the Democrats their best chance to unseat his old boss.

But if an increasingly youth-driven and progressive Democratic Party wants to play to its base, nominating a relative youngster like Buttigeig could be a wise decision. As the sitting mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and the first openly gay presidential candidate to represent a major party, Buttigeig’s youthful enthusiasm and pinpoint policy proposals have catapulted him into the Democratic Party’s lead pack.

2020 US Presidential Odds: Longshots Abound, But Don’t Forget 2016

Among the 31 prospective candidates offering odds of 100 to 1 or better, 21 are Democrats, eight are Republicans, and two are running as Independents.

The closest Republican “challenger” to Trump happens to be his second-in-command, as Vice President Mike Pence is listed at (+4500) for the 2020 race. Those odds obviously reflect the possibility of impeachment or untimely death removing Trump from office,

But assuming the Commander-in-Chief survives to earn a second race, Pence’s loyal stance makes him a decided longshot.

Speaking of longshots, Trump himself opened the 2016 betting as a massive 150 to 1 underdog. And while the action these days is on his likelihood to exit the White House before completing his first term, Trump’s upset victory shows that anybody on the list below has a puncher’s chance of becoming the next President.