2-1 Anybody with the last name Sand
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: The daughters are bad girls, and that’s why. I think the mother will be around for a while.
The A.V. Club says: If someone’s got to go this week, it might as well be them.
3-1 Nymeria, Arya’s direwolf
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: Ghost will never die, but Arya’s direwolf might get it.
The A.V. Club says: We haven’t even seen Nymeria since season one. Her showing up in this episode just to die would be a twist none of us would see coming.
10-1 Melisandre
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: Enough with the smoke already.
The A.V. Club says: She’s on her own and heading south. Who knows what perils will befall her on the way?
12-1 Brienne Of Tarth
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: I will cry, but the big girl has to go.
The A.V. Club says: First of all, we see what you did there, Benjamin, and we like it. On the other hand, we won’t like Brienne’s death, and we don’t like these odds.
12-2 Petyr Baelish
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: He reminds me of a young Donald Trump.
The A.V. Club says: Like Donald Trump, we think he’ll unfortunately be sticking around for at least the foreseeable future.
15-1 Davos
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: He’s getting old, and doesn’t have the fire anymore.
The A.V. Club says: He has to die eventually, but we’re not sure it’ll be this week.
25-1 Bran Stark
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: He might die, but he won’t really die, because he’ll go back in time to be Bran The Builder of the wall.
The A.V. Club says: Bran’s in a bad spot, but it seems unlikely that Thrones will just off another Stark week one.
50-1 Jaime Lannister
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: He still has a sister that he wants to date.
The A.V. Club says: First of all, gross. He’s probably not going this week, though. He has too much to do still.
100-1 Cersei or Arya
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: These ladies ain’t going anywhere. Girl power, baby!
The A.V. Club says: Cersei just got on the throne, so she’s not going anywhere. Same thing for Arya, who exists on pure vengeance.
Never-1 Sansa, Tyrion, Daenerys, or Jon Snow
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: It’s not going to happen.
The A.V. Club says: It’s tempting to throw our money behind one of these and then just win the game automatically, but Eckstein’s probably right here.
Prophecies for profit:
Note: Bets placed here stay active throughout the course of the show.
Who emerges victorious in the battle of The Mountain v. The Hound?
2-1 The Hound
5-1 The Mountain Wins
10-1 Someone else.
Eckstein the oddsmaker says: I think it’ll be Volcano, their half brother.
The A.V. Club says: We’d certainly like it to be The Hound, but can The Mountain even be killed?
3-1 Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen will sit on the throne together at the end of the show.
Over/under on episodes in which Cersei remains on the Iron Throne: 8.5
Over/under on how many episodes until Jon Snow’s true parentage is revealed to him: 5.5
Over/under on total deaths (of named characters) this week: 3.5
We’re each starting with $100 Westerosi bucks, and our picks this week are:
Erik Adams: $20 on the Cersei under, $80 on the total deaths under.
Danette Chavez: $10 on the total deaths under.
Marah Eakin—last year’s victor: $20 on the total deaths under, $10 on Davos, $10 on Brienne, and $10 on a Sand.
Leo Garcia: $65 on under. Season Bets: $5 on Cersei’s under. $5 on Jon’s parentage under. $2 on The Hound in Clegane Bowl I.
Alex McLevy: $30 bucks on the over of total deaths this episode. “Blood is going to spill, but it ain’t gonna be anyone we care about—not yet, anyway.”
Josh Modell: $60 on the under.
John Teti: $10 on Melisandre and $50 on the total-deaths under.
Grace Thomas: $20 on the over, $10 on Davos, and $5 on Jon Snow’s parentage being revealed in under 5.5 episodes.
Emi Tolibas: $25 on the over for total episode deaths.
Caitlin PenzeyMoog: $40 on the total deaths under, $5 on the Cersei under, $5 on a Sand, $5 on the under of Jon’s parentage, $5 on The Hound beating The Mountain.
Kristi-Lynn Jacovino: $5 on Melisandre, $5 for the over of total named deaths, $15 for under 8.5 episodes for Cersei gone from the throne, and why not add $15 for the under on Jon’s parentage.
Karl Blomberg: $20 on total deaths—under. $10 on Cersei on the throne—over.