The Mercury shortlist
Yes it's a really strong album and yes, it's better than their first one - but do they really need another award?
Odds: 4/1
A welcome new talent and a fun lass by all accounts, but again - she hardly needs her profile raised. Odds: 4/1
"Nu Rave" was bound to make an appearance this year, and here it is at its finest. Odds: 8/1
This is the album that should win the prize. Jamie T may be influenced in equal parts by Dylan/Bragg/Strummer/Mike Skinner, but he marks out his own territory on this stomper of an album. Odds: 8/1
This may be a return to form for the rapper, but that won't be enough to cut it. Odds: 8/1
They're very young, very shambolic and very good. Odds: 8/1
Lazily described as the "English Björk", Natasha Khan is a startling new talent and in years past she would have had much shorter odds. Odds: 10/1
It took a clutch of great British music press reviews to get this deserving work onto the shortlist. Whatever happens, this gives him a bigger platform.
Odds: 10/1
Indie-dance is the zeitgeist-friendly sound this year, and these are some of its best practitioners. Odds: 10/1
This may be by-the-numbers post-punk indie-rock, but it's the some of the best by-the-numbers post-punk indie-rock you will hear. Odds: 12/1
The token "never heard of them" selection just so the panel can show how much music they listen to. The Strings are a five-piece string group (as in cellos and all of that) who have a sort of modern jazz sound. Strokey-beardy music.
Odds: 12/1
Maps is one-man band James Chapman who specialises in nouveau-shoegazing or "shoetronica" as we like to call it around here.
Odds: 12/1
BOYD'S BETS
The overall winner will be announced on September 4th. You can rule out Arctic Monkeys for a start - simply because they won it last year - and if the panel decide to keep it mainstream again, then Amy Winehouse is a shoo-in. If they have an attack of trendiness, it could well go to Klaxons, but this year I'll be ignoring all of the above and splitting my money between Bat For Lashes and Jamie T.
Betting odds by William Hill
