It was uncertain whether “Real Housewives” star Kim Zolciak Biermann would be able to compete Monday night on “Dancing With the Stars.” Last week she suffered a transient ischemic attack, a kind of mini-stroke that left her hospitalized for much of the week. During the live show it was announced that her health emergency left her unable to fly back to Los Angeles for the competition, so she was forced to withdraw.
CLICK HERE to make your own ‘Dancing with the Stars’ predix & win prizes
Despite her health scare, only 18% of users predicted her exit, giving her 9/2 odds. Most users (53%) thought actor Gary Busey would be sent home instead after he posted the lowest judges’ score last Tuesday night.
The rest of the night’s results also surprised our users. There was a tie for the best judges’ score, but while almost half of predictors (49%) thought wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin would come out on top, it was boy band member Nick Carter and actress Alexa PenaVega who shared this week’s honors. Both scored straight 9s from the judges, including guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro, who won the mirror ball trophy in season 19. That gave both contestants a total of 36 out of 40 for the night.
Meanwhile, Irwin struggled to learn a new routine mid-week after her original dance was scrapped – she and pro partner Derek Hough had to trade in “The Jetsons” for “The Jeffersons” on “TV Theme Night.” She tumbled to fifth place on the leaderboard, scoring 32.
The lowest score (20) went to TV chef Paula Deen. Only 13% of users foresaw that outcome, giving her 7/1 odds. A whopping 72% were betting on Busey.
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None of our users predicted this week’s show perfectly, but seven led the way with 67% accuracy (two out of three correct): ThePerksOfBeingAGriff, Avaday, PAUL ANDREW STEBBINS, Connordapianist, Brian Skellenger, Jeff Beckman and me. Of those, ThePerksOfBeingAGriff had the highest points total (11,225), putting him at the top of this week’s predictions. Click the chart below for this week’s complete results:
How did he pull off that total? He bet 500 points on Alexa PenaVega’s high score when she had 16/1 odds, resulting in a payout of 8,000 points. And he bet 200 points on Deen’s low score at 16/1 odds, resulting in a 3,200-point payout. The only question he missed was the night’s elimination; he joined the majority of users on the Busey bandwagon.
Keep your point bets in mind making your predictions: coming out on top doesn’t just mean answering the week’s questions correctly. You also have to use your three big bets (one of 500 points and two of 200 points) strategically to score the most game points. If you bet on a long shot who pulls off an upset, you can really rack up the points. As we use those point totals to break ties when more than one user tops our leaderboard with the same number of correct predictions (as happened this week), don’t take them for granted.
Test your mettle against our top users by making your own predictions from week to week. Make sure you refer to Tuesday night’s score below when betting on next week’s show.
Nick Carter – 36
Alexa PenaVega – 36
Tamar Braxton – 33
Alek Skarlatos – 33
Bindi Irwin – 32
Carlos PenaVega – 31
Hayes Grier – 30
Andy Grammer – 29
Gary Busey – 25
Paula Deen – 20
In our “Dancing with the Stars” predictions center, you get to answer the following questions each week:
Which celebrity will be eliminated?
Who will receive the HIGHEST score from the judges?
Who will receive the LOWEST score from the judges?
Who will win ‘Dancing with the Stars’?
At the end of each week, the eligible user with the highest prediction accuracy and most points will win a $100 Amazon gift certificate, so it’s beneficial to keep coming back often and making/updating your predictions.
Who do you think WILL be eliminated next? Make your predictions
Which dancers do you like (and dislike) the most? Sound off in the comments section below, and join the discussion in Gold Derby’s reality TV forum.
Photos: Victor Espinoza and Tamar Braxton with their pro partners, “Dancing with the Stars.” Credit: ABC
