Hubdub’s Hot Predictions this week, as decided by Hubdub users and staff, are selected based on their newsworthiness for the week. These stories are bound to be big news this week - and we have forecasts on how they’re likely to turn out.

Sports
The NBA championship’s are in two weeks, and with the playoff games coming to a end, one team is the front runner. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a 50% chance of winning the championships, while the LA Lakers have a 24%, the Orlando Magic have the lowest chance of winning at 20%.

Team to win the 2009 NBA Championship?

Science
Just one look at the Hubdub odds on where the Swine Flu pandemic alert level is going to go, and it’s easy to see no one truly knows what will happen. There’s a 35% chance the pandemic alert goes up to 6 and a 32% chance it goes down to 4 within 5 weeks.

Whats next for the Swine Flu alert level: 4 or 6?

Business
Oil has gone up to $60 a barrel, but will it continue to rise? Although there’s 39% odds the price rises above $65 a barrel, the highest odds are 47% for no change before July.

Oil- up or down? July Contract. Which comes first - $55 oil or $65 oil?

Entertainment
The MTV Movie Awards are in 6 days, and one of the most entertaining awards is sure to be ‘Best Kiss.’ This year Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson’s kiss in Twilight seems to be the no-brainer. Hubdubbers give the kiss a 71%  chance of being selected.

MTV Movie Awards: Best Kiss?

World
With North Korea’s announced nuclear test tensions are high on the Korean peninsula and throughout Asia. But will the test have any lasting repercussions on peace talks? For now it doesn’t look like it. Hubdub forecasts North Korean Nuclear disarmament talks beginning in 2009 are likely.

When will North Korean nuclear disarmament talks start again?

Uncategorized best kiss, business, Cleveland Cavaliers, diplomacy, gasoline, Kristen Stewart, la lakers, MTV movie awards, national basketball association, nba, nba playoffs, north korea, nuclear tests, oil, oil barrel prices, orlando magic, pandemic, Robert Pattinson, swine flu, twilight

Hubdub’s Hot Predictions this week, as decided by Hubdub users and staff, are selected based on their newsworthiness for the week. These stories are bound to be big news this week - and we have forecasts on how they’re likely to turn out.

Politics
Nancy Pelosi the speaker of the house has been in a bit of trouble these past few weeks. First she didn’t know anything about torture, and then she kind of knew a bit about torture. For now the controversy has subsided, and Nancy’s chances of remaining speaker throughout 2009 are at 81%.

Will Nancy Pelosi remain Speaker of the United States House of Representatives through 2009?

World
There’s been a lot of apologizing since Barack Obama came to office. There’s nothing wrong with saying sorry for past mistakes, but at some point we’ve got to focus on the future.

In How Many countries will President Obama Apologize On his Next Overseas Trip?

Business
With GM restructuring under way, the ways of old are slowly disappearing. GM already axed the Pontiac brand, local car dealers are shutting down, and now rumors of a possible axing of the Saturn brand are in the wind. Saturn seems somewhat safe though, it has a 43% chance of being sold or becoming independent and a 36% chance of being axed.

What will happen to Saturn in 2009?

Entertainment
The two major SciFi films for May are Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation. With Star Trek already out and raking in the cash, now it’s Terminator’s turn. In it’s opening week Hubdub forecasts the movie is likely to make over $101 million.

Will Terminator Salvation earn at least $101 million in the Domestic box office during its 1st week?

Sport
In sport this week the major NBA playoff series is between the #1 seed LA Lakers (65-17) and the #2 seed Denver Nuggets (54-28). The Lakers seem the front runners for the match up this week, being the #1 seed.

NBA Playoffs, LA Lakers - Denver Nuggets, series outcome?

Trading percentages given are at time of posting and may not match up with markets after the fact due to Hubdub users forecasting on said markets.

Uncategorized apologize, barack obama, congress, denver nuggets, domestic box office, egypt, financial crisis, General Motors, GM, house of represenatives, la lakers, movies, Nancy Pelosi, national basketball association, nba, overseas, playoffs, Pontiac, Saturn, speaker of the house, star trek, terminator, terminator: salvation, torture

As we face the end of season eight, I find myself looking back. I knew from the first semi-final round that Kris Allen would be my favorite contestant and week after week he has performed brilliantly. Conventional wisdom suggests that Adam will carry the finale easily, however there are hints that this contest may be a little closer than many suspect. Ryan reported that only 1 million votes separated Adam and Kris in the penultimate episode and now during the finale the preponderance of Danny’s supporters are likely to switch to Kris. Unless Adam pulls out another “Mad World” level performance, I expect the odds to tighten up again before the finale.

Who will win American Idol Season 8?

But winning the competition is just part of the story.  Ruben Studdard beat out Clay Aiken in season 2 and yet Clay has outsold him 2 to 1…  Chris Daughtry came in fourth in his season and is the 4th most successful Idol ever…  Some Idols just don’t make albums that anyone is interested in buying (*cough* Taylor Hicks *cough*). So, even assuming Adam wins, will the audience for his album be as big as Kris’s easy adult alternative sound? Or Allison’s “rocker chick”? Or Danny’s (um what’s his sound again?)? The unintentional release of the iTunes popularity bars for the contestants might suggest that Adam will win this competition hands down, but it’s hard to know exactly how appealing his actual album will be to fans and non-Idol consumers.

Which Idol will sell the most records this year?

No matter who wins on Wednesday night, I’m looking forward to a great night of singing on Tuesday by two of the best singers in the competition (sorry you couldn’t join in Allison). Hopefully, there will be some fun guest stars (is Jason Mraz free??) and some chuckles at the expense of some truly awful performers (Tatiana/Norman Gentle duet?). But at the end of the day, its clear that both Adam and Kris have successful albums in their future and I know I’ll be buying Kris’ the day it comes out!

All the American Idol markets

Uncategorized

Hubdub’s Hot Predictions this week, as decided by Hubdub users and staff, are selected based on their newsworthiness for the week. These stories are bound to be big news this week - and we have forecasts on how they’re likely to turn out.

Politics
Undoubtedly the biggest news coming out of Washington last week was the retirement of  Justice Souter. As the dust settles, the focus is now on who will replace him. A smart trader wouldn’t forecast anyone just yet. That said though Sonia Sotomayor is getting a surprising amount of activity, now given a 42% chance of replacing Souter.

Who will replace Justice Souter?

Science
Apparently the end isn’t nye, which is a bummer since for the last week I thought the zombie apocalypse might be upon us, and we all know how cool those look! There’s still a chance we face imminent annihilation though! Hubdubbers give the Swine Flu alert level rasing to 6 a 62% chance. Alert level 6 means we’re in a pandemic.

Whats next for the Swine Flu alert level: 4 or 6?

Entertainment
Yes that’s right American Idol will soon be over, and whatever your feeling about the show in general it has to be said it’s developing into a American Institution. This season Hubdub is forecasting Adam and Danny have a 79% chance of being the last two contestants standing.

Who Will Be the Final Two Contestants on American Idol?

Sport
This week the main NBA playoff game is between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic. Who will win? Hubdub says the current front-runner is Boston and the forecast is that they’re likely to win in 6 games.

NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics - Orlando Magic, series outcome?

World

Don’t hate the player hate the game! Or in bad Italian Non odiare il giocatore odia il gioco. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s Prime Minister  is on the prowl for a ‘new thing,’ after his wife decided the 71 year-old’s flirtatious eye was too much. Currently Berlusconi, known for his young taste is 29% likely to next marry a 30 to 39 year-old.

What will be the age of Silvio Berlusconi’s next wife?

Trading percentages given are at time of posting and may not match up with markets after the fact due to Hubdub users forecasting on said markets.

Uncategorized adam and danny, american idol, boston celtics, contestants, divorce, epidemic, female justice, final two, H1N1, influenza, italy, Justice Souter, mexican flu, mexico, national basketball association, nba, nba playoffs, new wife, orlando magic, pandemic, playoffs, Silvio Berlusconi, Sonia Sotomayor, souter, supreme court, supreme court justices, supreme court nominees, swine flu, WHO, World Health Organization, young woman