'Dancing with the Stars' - Season 11 Odds

It's that time of year again, where new celebrities are announced on 'Dancing with the Stars.' I wouldn't be surprised this season if someone injured themselves days before the premiere on September 20th, especially after seeing the high bar that Nicole Scherzinger and Evan Lysacek set last season. Or, on the positive side, maybe the contestants were influenced by the marvelous transformation of Kelly Osbourne's body after being on the show.

This year's crop of celebrities run the gamut of ages, weights, and degrees of celebrity. There is good reason to watch the first few episodes this season just to see whether or not Bristol Palin will turn into this year's Kate Gosselin. Here is an analysis of this year's stars and their professionals.

Florence Henderson & Corky Ballas

Claim to fame: Actress, 'The Brady Bunch' among others

Similar to: Priscilla Presley (S6), Cloris Leachman (S7)

Analysis: Florence is nowhere near as old as Cloris or Buzz Aldrin, but she's not getting any younger. Sure there's a lot of nostalgia with Florence, but I'm not expecting much at all. She'll look great in a waltz or a foxtrot, but I fear for her when she gets the Samba. She'll survive a few weeks because of who she is and sympathy voting from the judges, but she's not going to win.

Pro Analysis: Corky Ballas is called when an old female celebrity signs up. Corky knows how to keep the choreography simple, but make sure the core of each dance is included. He benefited from Cloris being a funny comedian/actress so they played up her camp factor. With Florence, Corky will will play up the idea that she's refined and mature, so it will be interesting to see what he does if they get to dance the Samba or Jive.

Odds of Winning: 1000 - 1


Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas

Claim to fame: Sarah Palin's daughter

Similar to: Kate Gosselin (S10), Kim Kardashian (S7)

Analysis: If this isn't tabloid headline fodder, I don't know what is. Bristol demonstrated on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager' that she is a horrible actress and she doesn't have much physical prowess. I doubt her musicality is any better. One can only guess how tired she'd be if she was parenting during the show. Based on the performance of Kate Gosselin, Bristol can get past the first few weeks from Tea Party and Sarah Palin supporters no matter how the numbers skew.

Pro Analysis: Mark Ballas was eliminated first last season with well-known actress Shannen Doherty. He had shoulder surgery right after the elimination, so he should be fully recovered by now. He's tried to teach a non-musician/athlete before with Kim Kardashian and it flopped horribly; expect similar results with Bristol.

Odds of Winning: 100 - 1

Audrina Patridge & Tony Dovolani

Similar to: Shannon Elizabeth (S6)

Claim to fame: Actress, 'The Hills'

Analysis: Seeing how badly Shannen Doherty did last season makes me nervous for Audrina. She's not Heidi Montag, nor is she as memorable as the rest of 'The Hills' cast. Did anyone even see 'Sorority Row?' I don't expect anything to go well for Audrina.

Pro Analysis: Tony must be closer to sainthood after dealing with Kate Gosselin for as long as he did. The fact that he was determined to make Kate at least passable shows good promise for his teaching skills. Tony traditionally has the "mature female celebrity" so finally getting another young star since Melissa Rycroft will benefit him.

Odds of Winning: 50 - 1





Kyle Massey & Lacey Schwimmer

Claim to fame: Disney Channel star

Similar to: Sabrina Bryan (S4) , Cody Linley (S7)

Analysis: He's part of the Disney farm so I expect a minor ability to understand choreography. His biggest challenge will be his extra weight. His Disney Channel fan base will help him survive the first few weeks but, if he can't get past his bulky frame and possible endurance issues, he'll become middle fodder.

Pro Analysis: Lacey Schwimmer wasn't around last season, but her normal choreography tends to be a bit edgy for Len's tastes. She's had the gamut of potential from low (Steve-O) to almost ringer (Lance Bass). Lacey's big issue is keeping Len happy, so as long as we don't have any barefoot performances, we should be okay.

Odds of Winning: 25 - 1



Margaret Cho & Louis Van Amstel

Claim to fame: Comedian

Similar to: Niecy Nash (S10), David Alan Grier (S8)

Analysis: Comedians don't fare well, but can usually outlast the older and very left-footed celebrities. In general, comedians' strengths lie in their acting ability and Margaret will probably need that in week one because she has the Viennese Waltz. As a fan of her comedy, I hope she does well, but I'm not expecting much.

Pro Analysis: Louis Van Amstel has proven that he can take non-dance based celebrities and train them to look very convincing. If he can get Margaret to have a similar dedication like Kelly Osbourne and get Margaret to understand her body and take extra core-tightening exercises, Margaret will have the right frame for a dancer.

Odds of Winning: 22 - 1



Mike Sorrentino & Karina Smirnoff

Claim to fame: Reality Star, 'Jersey Shore'

Similar to: Jake Pavelka (S10)

Analysis: The Situation is the dark horse this season. We know he likes to party so he has the vibe of being sexy and playful. He's in shape so he could always go shirtless to gain votes. Mike's biggest hurdle will be his dedication to the show. He's starting late (he wasn't at the couples photo shoot because of 'Jersey Shore') and will have to play catch-up from the beginning. ABC was looking for the core 18-34 demographic when they cast the Situation, but will anyone actually pick up their phones to vote for him? If Snooki sits in the audience every week, he'll get mine.

Pro Analysis: Karina Smirnoff is coming off of a breakup with fellow professional Maks and had a season to compose herself. Hopefully they can be amicable with each other for the sake of the show. Her celebrities skew towards musicians, with the occasional oddball (Steve Wozniak, Rocco DiSpirito). She's gone to the quarterfinals with all her musicians and went to the finals with Mario Lopez, but the non-musicians bowed out early. Will the Situation follow that trend?

Odds of Winning: 20 - 1


Michael Bolton & Chelsie Hightower

Claim to fame: Crooner

Similar to: Billy Ray Cyrus (S4)

Analysis: Michael Bolton never moved much when he sang, mostly because he sang love-making ballads. Even in his music video for "Dance with Me," he spent half the video sitting down. Michael's competing at the age of 57 so he will probably be a bit slow to absorb everything. While Donny Osmond won and was in his 50s, he had performance in his blood. Michael Bolton doesn't have that quality. Michael is going to be the forgettable nice guy.

Pro Analysis: Chelsie Hightower is a youthful, energetic, and very positive woman. She's managed to make Ty Murray look good. As much as I loved Chelsie since 'So You Think You Can Dance,' Chelsie tends to over-compensate when she dances with celebrities. She's had dances where the celebrities have walked to the right places while she spun around them. If she could push Michael to understand more difficult choreography, she'll be rewarded.

Odds of Winning: 15 - 1


Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough

Similar to: Debi Mazar (S9), Tia Carrere (S2)

Claim to fame: Actress, best known for 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'

Analysis: Jennifer Grey is riding the wave after Patrick Swayze died, as people watched 'Dirty Dancing' for nostalgia and then said, "Whatever happened to Jennifer Grey?" There's a lot of sentimental support for her, but she's not the spring chicken that she was in 1986. I don't understand why the Vegas Odds placed her at 5 - 1, she's had a nose job and, aside from a guest role on 'Friends' and playing herself on a sitcom, has been mostly forgettable since the '80s.

Pro Analysis: I'm shocked that Derek wasn't given a vibrant model or singer. Brooke Burke was his oldest contestant and she was about 36 during the season she was a contestant. Maybe 'DWTS' wants to see someone who isn't a Ballas or Hough win this season. In general, Derek is a positive teacher with choreography that is very receptive to Len's complaints and suggestions. He did break the rules to the Quickstep last season, so expect him to play by the rules more with Jennifer.

Odds of Winning: 13 - 1


Brandy Norwood & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Claim to fame: Singer, having a reality show with her brother Ray-J

Similar to: Toni Braxton (S7)

Analysis: Brandy never was the dancer that Mya was, so I don't see any ringer status. Conversely, I think she will have the same issues that Toni Braxton had. After watching a bit of 'Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business' she has an attitude that can match Maks. She has the same drive and dynamic personality that she's had since she entered the business at a young age. The combination of someone with musicality and acting ability makes Brandy as the female to beat.

Pro Analysis: Maks is good at choreographing drama and sex. He's also good at creating drama and sexual tension. With Brandy claiming to be single, this could be another repeat of last season, where he flirted with Erin Andrews the whole season. Even with their bickering and complaints, the two made it to the finals.

Odds of Winning: 10 - 1


David Hasselhoff & Kym Johnson

Claim to fame: Actor, Musician, 'America's Got Talent' Judge, Eating a cheeseburger off the floor

Similar to: Donny Osmond (S9), Steve Guttenberg (S6)

Analysis: You know that after Pamela Anderson went on, she convinced him to go on the show. He has musicality, based on his theater work and European music career. However, David's not the good-looking guy in 'Knight Rider' anymore. He also can be a bit brash, so I expect spats between him and Len. I'd love to see the Hoff crash and burn, but I have a feeling he will be dedicated and willing to learn.

Pro Analysis: Kym Johnson managed to win with Donny Osmond, a celebrity with a similar combination of music/acting/theater skills as David. Then again, she was also paired up with someone else with 'America's Got Talent' connections (Jerry Springer) and that was disastrous. She's good at pulling out the actor in her partners, so hopefully she can get the Hoff to be mature in slow dances and a hound in uptempo ones.

Odds of Winning: 8 - 1


Rick Fox & Cheryl Burke

Claim to fame: Former NBA small forward

Similar to: Clyde Drexler (S4)

Analysis: I'm getting Jason Taylor-like vibes from Rick Fox. The big advantage is that Rick has had the acting bug in the past, so if he can combine his exercise and work ethics with decent acting skills he'll do fine. The recently-retired athletes tend to do better since they still keep in shape, so he has endurance and can take coaching.

Pro Analysis: Cheryl just came from training an NFL star (Chad Ochocinco) and has been paired with an Olympian (Maurice Green) so she'll know how to get what she needs out of an NBA star. She has two wins under her belt, but it's been eight seasons since her last win. Cheryl is great at creating a chemistry on the dance floor so expect her to succeed in Tango and Paso Doble.

Odds of Winning: 5 - 1


Kurt Warner & Anna Trebunskaya

Claim to fame: NFL quarterback

Similar to: Chad Ochocinco (S10), Emmitt Smith (S3)

Analysis: Kurt benefits from going straight from retirement to 'DWTS' because he's still physically fit, unlike Jerry Rice and Lawrence Taylor. Kurt also has seven children (five of his own) and that's a set-up for a "You can do it dad!" sympathy segment. Mothers out there will end up voting for his great dad quality, hunky good looks, and evangelical Christian values.

Pro Analysis: Anna had one of her best seasons in a very long time with Evan Lysacek. Granted, as a figure skater, Evan understood his body and carriage more so than an NFL player. Anna showed cracks near the end of the season when she struggled to choreograph a Paso Doble, so when she makes it to the second half of the season, we have to watch out if she burns out again.

Odds of Winning: 4 - 1

While I highly doubt there will be an all-male final three, Kurt Warner and Rick Fox are front-runners since there are no choreography-heavy pop stars competing this season. As for the third spot, Brandy and David will have to battle that out.

Who do you think will win Season 11 of 'DWTS?'