Sanremo 2026: the favourites for the cover night according to bookmakers

After the announcement of the duets and songs chosen for Sanremo 2026's cover night, odds on the favourites for Friday's show are already circulating - it's traditionally one of the most closely watched and talked-about moments of the Festival. According to Sisal's figures, two very different pairings, united by the same odds, are vying for favourite status: Ditonellapiaga with TonyPitony, and Serena Brancale alongside Gregory Porter and Delia. Both are priced at 6.00 to win Friday night, a tie that neatly reflects the evening's two different souls.

On one side there's the more contemporary operation, built on visual impact; on the other, a choice that openly bets on musical credibility, on the interplay between voices and on an international scope that, in recent years, has become an increasingly less marginal part of the Sanremo narrative.

Cover night keeps working precisely because it suspends, at least in part, the competition's usual rules. It's the space where the Festival agrees to become common ground between languages, generations and audiences that don't normally cross paths.

Behind the two leading duets, Sisal flags some possible surprises tied to the so-called "comebacks", a dynamic that always carries some weight at Sanremo. Brunori Sas, joined by Maria Antonietta and Colombre, and Michele Zarrillo paired with Sal Da Vinci are both priced at 9.00.

Further back, at 12.00, are Stadio with Tommaso Paradiso, and two tributes to Mina taking opposite approaches: Fulminacci with Francesca Fagnani on "Parole parole", and Malika Ayane with Claudio Santamaria on "Mi sei scoppiato dentro al cuore". These are bets that lean on the symbolic power of the repertoire, but will need to prove they can go beyond mere tribute.

Rounding out the picture, at least on paper, is the longer-shot end of the betting. Samurai Jay with Belén Rodríguez and Roy Paci is priced at 50.00: a choice that seems to be banking entirely on television unpredictability rather than any real expectation of winning.

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