Next Pope Odds: Who Will Be the Next Pope?
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Wagering on the next pope odds allows you to engage in one of the most niche betting markets. These odds are typically not available at land-based sportsbooks.
Luckily, you can bet on entertainment odds at any time online, including the odds for the next pope. In addition to betting on specific papal candidates, you can wager on prop bets for the next pope.
Continue reading to see the latest odds for who will be the next pope. I will break down the top papal candidates and tell you which prop bets you should wager on for this market.
How Old is Pope Francis?
Pope Francis assumed the Papacy in March 2013 at the age of 76. He became the first pope in more than a millennium not to use a papal anime that had previously been used.
Francis has served as pope for over a decade, and his age has seemingly caught up with him. Due to his health concerns, he has even missed major events, such as the Good Friday procession. Francis’s time as pope could be coming to an end soon, meaning the Catholic church will need to find a new one.
Next Pope Odds
There are dozens of papal candidates who are in the running to be the next pope. Check out the table below to see the leading candidates in the current next pope odds, courtesy of BetUS.
| Papal Candidate | Next Pope Odds | Country of Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Ouellet | +400 | Canada |
| Luis Antonio Tagle | +400 | Philippines |
| Pietro Parolin | +400 | Italy |
| Peter Turkson | +600 | Ghana |
| Peter Erdo | +600 | Hungary |
| Angelo Scola | +800 | Italy |
| Robert Sarah | +800 | Guinea |
| Christoph Schönborn | +900 | Czech Republic |
| Raymond Leo Burke | +900 | United States |
| Konrad Krajewski | +900 | Poland |
There are three papal candidates tied for the best odds to be the next pope. Mark Ouellet, Luis Antonio Tagle, and Pietro Parolin are all listed at +400 to be the next pope. A pair of Peters – Turkson and Erdo – are tied for the next-best odds at +600.
Five other candidates are available at better than 10-1 odds to be the next pope. Half of the candidates in the top 10 are from Europe.
Mark Ouellet (+400)
Cardinal Bishop Mark Ouellete is one of three men tied for the best odds to be the next pope. He is listed at +400 in the latest next pope odds at secure betting sites.
Ouellet has plenty of experience that would qualify him to be the pope. He first became ordained in 1968 and has held several positions within the church. Most recently, the Canadian spent over a decade as the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
However, he is also turning 80 this summer and is still battling sexual assault allegations from an incident in 2008. If Ouellet were running for President, these factors would be a non-issue, but they could prevent him from becoming pope.
Luis Antonio Tagle (+400)
Another candidate listed at 4-1 odds to be the next pope is Luis Antonio Tagle. Tagle is from the Philippines and became a cardinal in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. He holds several positions of leadership, such as Cardinal-Bishop of San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle.
Tagle has also won plenty of awards, including the Father Hecker Award for Excellence in Evangelization in 2020. He has hosted multiple religious television shows and is one of the more progressive candidates for the next pope.
Peter Turkson (+600)
Ghanaian prelate and cardinal Peter Turkson is another top contender to be the head of the Catholic Church. Turkson is listed at +600 in the latest odds of the next pope. He is well-known for his attempts to address the AIDs epidemic in Africa and was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Turkson is also known for his high energy and was a highly regarded papal candidate in 2013. He ultimately lost the election, but he is not a favorite to succeed Pope Francis.
Angelo Scola (+800)
Angelo Scola is another leading candidate to be the next pope. The 82-year-old is tied for the sixth-best next pope odds at +800 and has the second-shortest odds of any candidate from Italy.
Scola has a history of siding with conservative leaders, such as his support for the use of the Tridentine Mass. However, he has also encouraged building ties with Islam, focusing on the common ground between Islam and Catholicism.
Christoph Schönborn (+900)
Christoph Schönborn (+900) is another great candidate to bet on to be the next pope at the top sports betting sites. He has served as the Archbishop of Vienna since 1995 and was made a cardinal in 1998. Schönborn has battled health issues in recent years but has continued to serve the church.
Like Scola, Schönborn has focused on building bonds between Catholicism and other religions, namely Judaism and Islam. He has also held relatively progressive views on issues like contraception and evolution.
Who Will Be the Next Pope?
Picking the next pope is easier said than done. The College of Cardinals must elect a pope amongst themselves at the conclave. Finding consensus on a candidate can take time, and a two-thirds majority is needed for the vote to pass.
With that in mind, I would pick Luis Antonio Tagle (+400) to bet on for this wager.
Tagle is tied for the best odds and is a relatively progress candidate compared to many other options. He is also just 66 years old, making him one of the youngest candidates in the current top 10. His experience with using television to reach larger audiences could also help his case to be the next pope.
Prediction: Luis Antonio Tagle will be the next pope (+400)
Prop Odds for the Next Pope
BetUS also offers exciting prop wagers concerning the question of who the next pope will be. For instance, you can bet on which continent the next pope will come from. Also, you can wager on what the next pope’s papal name will be.
Continent of the Next Pope?
One of the prop bets BetUS is offering for the next pope is which continent the papal candidate will come from. Five of the seven continents are available, including:
- Europe (-125)
- North America (+400)
- Asia (+400)
- Africa (+500)
- Central or South America (+600)
As I mentioned above, half of the papal candidates with shorter than 10-1 odds of being the next pope are from Europe. So, it should come as no surprise that Europe (-125) is the favorite in this prop betting market.
The candidate I picked, Luis Antonio Tagle, is from the Philippines. With that in mind, I would bet on Asia for this bet, which is tied for the second-best odds at +400. Betting on Europe would be the safer option, though, given the number of papal candidates from the continent.
Prediction: The next pope will be from Asia (+400)
What Will the Next Pope’s Papal Name Be?
BetUS also has exciting betting odds available for the papal name of the next pope. There are over two dozen papal names for you to choose from in this betting market. Some of the betting favorites include the following:
- Francis (+125)
- John Paul (+700)
- Leo (+800)
Six papal names are also listed at 12-1 odds to be chosen for the next pope’s name. The names tied for the fourth-best odds are John, Gregory, Benedict, Paul, Innocent or Blesses Innocent, and Joseph or Josephus.
Pops are allowed to choose their own papal names, so try to pick a name you believe your choice for the next pope would use. Luis Antonio Tagle’s motto is from the Book of John, and he was appointed to the International Theological Commission by Pope John Paul II.
With that in mind, I would pick either John Paul (+700) or simply John (+1200) for this wager. John offers the better payout odds, so that is the one I would go with.
Prediction: The next pope’s papal name will be John (+1200)
Who Will You Bet on to Be the Next Pope?
Prop Francis has been head of the Catholic Church for over a decade, but health issues could shorten his reign. Sooner or later, a new pope will have to be elected to replace Francis. Check out the list above to see the latest next pope odds from BetUS.
You can also wager on several prop bets regarding the future of the papacy. I break down the latest odds and give my predictions in the blog above. You can wager on the latest odds for all the papal betting markets above by signing up for BetUS today.
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