Up until this point in the 2016 presidential election, the betting markets have not been as kind to Donald Trump as the polls have. But now — less than three weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses — the real estate magnate has finally pulled into first place as the market's favorite to win the GOP nomination:
The odds on a Trump victory are 15/8, or 34 percent, putting the billionaire real-estate mogul as favorite in the market for the first time, Betfair said in an e-mailed statement in London on Wednesday. Previous favorite Marco Rubio widened to 11/5, or 31 percent, while Ted Cruz is 7/2, 22 percent. [Bloomberg]
Trump's new lead in the betting markets is still matched by the polls, too. Nationally, Trump holds a 17-point lead ahead of the rest of the Republican field.
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