What will Trump and Biden talk about during the debate? Vegas is taking bets
As President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden prepare to square off Tuesday evening in the first presidential debate of 2020, Vegas oddsmakers are wagering on what will be discussed.
Site SportsBetting.ag has bet on which topic will be debated first, what Biden or Trump will say first, if either of them will refuse to answer a question, how many “non-facts” they will say and if they will wear a mask during the debate.
The potential bets include references to drug tests, false statements from candidates and accusations of “fake news.”
Oddsmakers put the Supreme Court as the favorite topic to be debated first with +200 odds, which means a person would get $200 for betting $100. The coronavirus pandemic has +250 odds, followed by Trump’s and Biden’s records with +350, race and violence with +400, election integrity with +500 and the economy with +600.
The anticipated debate will be the first time Biden and Trump face off in-person after Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett on Saturday to replace late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The two will also debate after The New York Times released a report on Trump’s tax returns showing the president only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 after paying nothing for 10 out of 15 years starting in 2000.
Biden implored Senate Republicans to wait until after the election to fill Ginsburg’s seat, citing the run-up to the 2016 election, when Republicans blocked President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland because an election was 10 months away, ABC News reported. Biden’s campaign also released an ad in response to Trump’s tax returns, comparing how much average American workers pay compared to Trump.
SportsBetting.ag has Biden with -200 odds that he’ll say “Come on man” first and “Scranton” with +150 odds.
Biden’s campaign has framed the presidential race between “Scranton and Park Avenue,” contrasting the working class interests of Scranton, Pennsylvania — Biden’s hometown — to Park Avenue in Manhattan, where Trump owns a residential condominium. “Come on man” is one of Biden’s oft-used phrases to show exasperation or disbelief.
There are +110 odds that Trump will say “sleepy” first compared to -150 odds that he’ll say “drug test.” Trump has repeatedly called Biden “Sleepy Joe” and released campaign ads questioning Biden’s mental acuity. After Trump suggested that Biden has used performance-enhancing drugs and should take a drug test, Biden’s campaign manager replied that Trump’s best debate strategy is “made in urine,” The Washington Post reported.
The betting site has Biden with -400 odds that he wears a mask at the podium and +250 odds that he doesn’t. There are +150 odds that Trump wears a mask compared to -200 odds that he forgoes one.
There are +200 odds that either candidate refuses to answer a question compared to -300 odds that they don’t. The site also has -650 odds that Trump will say over 5.5 “non-facts” and +375 odds that he’ll say under 5.5 “non-facts.” There are -135 odds that Biden will say over 1.5 “non-facts” and -105 odds that he’ll say under 1.5 “non-facts.”
A Monmouth University poll, which surveyed 809 registered U.S. voters Sept. 24-27, found 74% of voters are planning to watch the debate on Tuesday night — despite only 3% saying they are “likely” to have their mind changed. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Trump’s reelection campaign has also pushed for earlier and more debates, while Biden’s campaign reaffirmed its commitment to the original debate schedule of three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate, McClatchy news reported.
