Game of Thrones Hope Chest: long odds and unlikely endings

Game of Thrones has never been about giving readers or viewers what they most want. Its author and screenwriters prefer to build fan expectations, then overturn them for narrative impact and, sometimes, pure shock value. Yet, fans maintain hope that at least a few of the characters will reach a satisfying, well-deserved ending. So it’s time for the return of Game of Thrones Hope Chest, the weekly poll where we put all of our hopes together in one place. We aren’t asking what you think is going to happen on Game of Thrones. We’re asking: what do you most hope to see happen?

Last week, we looked at weird fan theories about what’s going on in Westeros, and this week, we’re focusing on an area of Game of Thrones exploitation that’s almost as strange: the world of Vegas odds-making, where betting outlets give viewers the chance to lay down money on what they think will happen next on the show. Yes, you can obviously bet on the outcome of Cleganebowl, the much-anticipated final face-off between brothers Sandor “The Hound” Clegane and Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, or on the question of who will take the Iron Throne in the end. You can even pick an over/under on how many people Arya Stark will murder this season.

The betting site Bovada lays out a wide variety of Game of Thrones-related wagers, some with surprisingly long odds. Much as with the annual round of betting on who will win the Oscars, the oddsmakers are likely to get a lot of it wrong, but the odds they’ve set are still an interesting look into what people expect, and where they’re putting their money. For instance, the odds suggest a surprising percentage of people believe Tyrion Lannister is secretly plotting with his sister Cersei and plans to betray Daenerys Targaryen. They also suggest that nobody believes The Hound or The Mountain will end up on Westeros’ throne — but if you want to put money on the long-odds chance of that happening, someone will be very happy to take that money.

Is there an area where you’d like to see the bookies proved wrong? Remember, as always, Game of Thrones Hope Chest isn’t about what you actually think will happen (or are willing to bet on), it’s what you think might make the most interesting story.