hot favorite
Likely to win
A hot favorite is a competitor or choice strongly expected to win or be selected—the clear frontrunner.
The phrase emphasizes high confidence in the prediction: She's the hot favorite for the Oscar.
More common in British English; Americans tend toward heavy favorite or strong favorite.
- front-runnerLikely winner
- top pickPreferred selection above others
- oddsLikelihood expressed numerically
- betting lineBookmaker's published odds
- crowdLarge public gathering
darling · finish · leading · pole position · contender · winner · sexpot · shoo-in · like · safe bet · forecast · prediction · challenger · hot · likelihood · enjoy · trophy · expectation