As Donald Trump has erased some of the gains rival Kamala Harris made in the weeks after his televised debate with her, betting sites are now giving the Republican nominee the best chance to win the election next month.
It’s the first time Trump has been favourite since September 10, when Trump was widely panned for his debate performance.
That left many wondering if he could recover, and Ms Harris and her campaign seized on the moment to build momentum and take a lead in several polls.
However, the US vice-president’s polling has gone stagnant and Trump has seen an uptick. That is especially true in battleground states where Ms Harris and Trump remain in a virtual neck-and-neck just weeks before election day.
Harris v Trump: US election polling latest
Now, Trump has taken the lead with the bookies. He currently has a -145 line on BetOnline, compared to Harris’s +125. A negative line means that bookmakers believe the odds favour that person to win. Most betting on the election is done from overseas markets.
We will defend our territory. We will defend our families. We will defend our communities. We will defend our Civilization
“Under the Trump Administration, we will put American CITIZENS first, American CHILDREN first, American PATIENTS first, American TAXPAYERS first, American WORKERS first, and American COMMUNITIES first. We will put Communists, Marxists, and Fascists last!” Trump wrote on his social media site Turth Social at the weekend.
US vice-president Kamala Harris. Photo: AP
“We will defend our territory. We will defend our families. We will defend our communities. We will defend our Civilization. We will not be conquered. We will not be occupied. We will not be invaded. We will reclaim our sovereignty. We will reclaim our nation – and I will give you back your freedom and your life.”
Ms Harris’s campaign, meanwhile, has turned to heavy hitters in celebrities and former presidents to try and regain the momentum.
“In every campaign I’ve ever been a part of, you have a lot of folks that can come in at the end to add late help and expertise to states,” Dan Kanninen, the Ms Harris campaign’s battleground director, told NBC. “Sometimes you get folks who are former ambassadors collating packets for [get-out-the-vote efforts]. Sometimes you get folks who are serious operatives who can lend a few weeks at the end to sharpen your operations and everything in between.”
Ms Harris has seen her betting position vanish since the start of the month. A week ago, she had a 50.1pc chance of winning the election on the Election Betting Odds tracker. That figure is now down to 45.5pc, while Trump now holds a 53.9pc chance to win on November 5.