Who Is Most Likely to Win ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 30: Predictions of ‘DWTS’ Winners and Losers

As soon as the contestants were announced, Dancing With the Stars fans have been speculating which celebrity would take home the Mirrorball Trophy, and this season has some serious competition. 

DWTS season 30, which premieres via ABC on September 20, boasts many celebs who are trained dancers, such as Dance Moms alum JoJo Siwa and Mel C. (a.k.a. Sporty Spice), who danced choreography with her band, the Spice Girls. But there are also several athletes, and as past seasons have shown, you should never rule them out — figure skaters, professional football players and gymnasts have beat their competition in previous seasons.  

A contestant’s chance of winning is also in the hands of the professional dancer they are teamed up with. Derek Hough has won six seasons of the show, the most out of any dancer. Mark Ballas has been a finalist nine times and has won two seasons — he even received an Emmy nom for choreography. Cheryl Burke made the finals seven times and helped Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith win the Mirrorball in her first two seasons.

Rounding out the 2021 DWTS contestants are Jimmie Allen, Christine Chiu, Brian Austin Green, Melora Hardin, Olivia Jade, Iman Shumpert, Amanda Kloots, Kenya Moore, Cody Rigsby, Matt James, Martin Kove, Suni Lee and Mike “The Miz” Mizanin.

As of now, gambling websites are divided over who will win DWTS, but many sources can agree on the top three being Suni, 18, JoJo, 18, who will be the first contestant to dance with a same-sex partner, and Mel C, 47. 

But favorites don’t always win — hardcore fans will remember their shock when Bobby Bones won season 27. Even the radio host couldn’t believe he won gold with pro Sharna Burgess.

“We were shocked,” Bobby, 41, told ET after his win in November 2018. “You have to think about it, [when] we started the show, I had never danced before… I cannot believe we won.”

Bobby’s season left many fans wondering how Dancing With the Stars voting works. To vote for DWTS contestants, you have to be watching the show live as after-show voting is no longer permitted. Those live broadcast votes are combined with the judge’s scores and the team with the lowest score will be up for elimination. 

According to ABC, Dancing With the Stars’ “voting begins with a special premiere vote on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT where your votes will help determine which couples will continue dancing in the competition. This vote will be online at ABC.com and by SMS text. For the premiere vote only, both online and SMS text voting will end Tuesday, September 21 at 5 a.m. ET/ 4 a.m. CT.”

Amanda, 39, currently a co-host of The Talk, is a former Radio City Rockette and has graced stages on Broadway multiple times. Amanda’s husband, Nick Cordero, passed away in 2020 from complications due to COVID-19, which could resonate with viewers at home and earn her more votes. 

Cody, 33, could be the underdog who pulls it off. While not a household name, he is one of the most popular Peloton trainers and currently has over 900K Instagram followers. On top of already having a dedicated fan base, Cody used to be a backup dancer for Katy Perry which means he could be a real contender. 

Brian, 48, has no dance experience, but it is rumored he will be partnered with his girlfriend, Sharna, 36, which could earn some votes from romance-loving fans. Brian and Sharna’s real-life passion could also translate well on the stage.

While everyone has a shot (even if it’s a long shot), gamblers and fans are speculating on who will be sent home first on DWTS. 

As of now, gamblers and fans predict that Martin, 75, will be the first one sent home this season. Martin is this season’s oldest competitor The actor, who played the head coach of Cobra Kai in the Karate Kid, may still have some martial art skills to show off, though. 

Olivia, 21, may have a hard time winning audiences over. Despite her millions of followers on Instagram and YouTube, fans of DWTS aren’t happy the daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, who were part of the college admissions scandal of 2019, will be participating.

As of now, Gold Derby, a website that predicts entertainment awards has Suni, JoJo, and Mel C as the top three most likely to win DWTS, respectively. The website lists Christine Chiu, 33, Iman Shumpert, 31, and Martin as the bottom three.