SNL 50th Anniversary Special Host Odds: Tina Fey Leads the Way
NBC’s Saturday Night – later rebranded as Saturday Night Live – aired its first episode back in 1975, making next year the 50th anniversary of the iconic show. And to celebrate that milestone, Saturday Night Live will be broadcasting a three-hour primetime anniversary special on Sunday, February 16.
But who will be tabbed to host the anniversary special? Odds on who will receive that honor have been listed at the top sports betting sites and it’s a former SNL cast member that leads those betting lines.
Tina Fey is the +240 favorite at FanDuel Canada to be the host of the SNL 50th Anniversary Special in February, headlining an odds list that features past cast members, frequent former Saturday Night Live hosts, and some other big-name showbiz stars.
SNL 50th Anniversary Special Host Odds
| Host Candidate | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tina Fey | +240 | 29.41% | $24.00 |
| Steve Martin | +340 | 22.73% | $34 |
| John Mulaney | +650 | 13.33% | $65 |
| Lorne Michaels | +650 | 13.33% | $65 |
| Tom Hanks | +750 | 11.76% | $75 |
| Will Ferrell | +750 | 11.76% | $75 |
| Kristen Wiig | +1000 | 9.09% | $100 |
| Andy Samberg | +1000 | 9.09% | $100 |
| Amy Poehler | +1200 | 7.69% | $120 |
| Bill Hader | +1200 | 7.69% | $120 |
| Alec Baldwin | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Chris Rock | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Emma Stone | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Kate McKinnon | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Martin Short | +1900 | 5.00% | $190 |
| Paul Rudd | +1900 | 5.00% | $190 |
| Adam Driver | +2200 | 4.35% | $220 |
| Ryan Gosling | +2200 | 4.35% | $220 |
| Jimmy Fallon | +2400 | 4.00% | $240 |
| Adam Sandler | +2400 | 4.00% | $240 |
| Bill Murray | +2800 | 3.45% | $280 |
| Scarlett Johansson | +2800 | 3.45% | $280 |
| Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | +3100 | 3.13% | $310 |
| Eddie Murphy | +3500 | 2.78% | $350 |
| Melissa McCarthy | +3500 | 2.78% | $350 |
| Drew Barrymore | +3800 | 2.56% | $380 |
| Chevy Chase | +3800 | 2.56% | $380 |
| Matt Damon | +4100 | 2.38% | $410 |
| Justin Timberlake | +4100 | 2.38% | $410 |
| Pete Davidson | +4100 | 2.38% | $410 |
| Larry David | +4800 | 2.04% | $480 |
| Danny DeVito | +4800 | 2.04% | $480 |
(Odds courtesy FanDuel Canada as of Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. ET)
Fey broke out during her six SNL seasons
Fey began her Saturday Night Live stint as a writer in 1997, eventually becoming the show’s head writer. As well, she started appearing in sketches in 2000 along with anchoring the Weekend Update desk alongside Jimmy Fallon and then Amy Poehler. Leaving the show in 2006, Fey would notably go on to create the comedy 30 Rock for NBC as well as the comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Netflix.
Fey has also returned to host Saturday Night Live six times – most recently in 2018 – and has been mentioned as a possible successor to SNL creator/producer/showrunner Lorne Michaels. Given that pedigree, Fey makes sense as a potential host for the anniversary special as the +240 betting favorite.
That has Fey just ahead of Steve Martin (+340) on the odds. Martin has hosted Saturday Night Live 16 times in his career, first back in 1976 and most recently in 2022. He’s also hosted an SNL anniversary gig before, having performed the opening monologue at the show’s 40th anniversary special in 2015. Martin remains firmly in the showbiz spotlight, creating and starring in Only Murders in the Building on Hulu.
The next two on the odds are John Mulaney and Michaels himself, both at +650. Mulaney is actually set to host SNL on Nov. 2, the sixth time he’s performed that duty, so it seems unlikely he’d also host the anniversary special. For Michaels, there are also odds at FanDuel Canada on whether he will retire after SNL’s 50th season, and there wouldn’t be a bigger time to make that huge career announcement.
Will Lorne Michaels retire after SNL's 50th season?
| Response | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | -200 | 66.67% | $5 |
| Yes | +310 | 24.39% | $31 |
(Odds courtesy FanDuel Canada as of Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. ET)
Past cast members all over the odds list
Tom Hanks did the opening monologue for SNL’s 15th anniversary special in 1989, and Chris Rock performed those duties for the show’s 25th anniversary special in 1999. Hanks is at +750 on the odds to be the SNL 50th Anniversary Special host, with Rock tied with 17-time SNL host Alec Baldwin at +1400.
Rock, of course, is a former SNL cast member, and that group is well represented on the betting lines for the prop wager. Will Ferrell joins Hanks at +750, with Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg at +1000, Poehler and Bill Hader at +1200, and Kate McKinnon at +1600. Chevy Chase, an original cast member, is +3800.
SNL connections amongst the underdogs
Bill Murray joined the Saturday Night Live cast in 1977 and was on the show for four seasons before venturing out into Hollywood stardom, and he has returned to host the show five times (most recently in 1999). Still popular and active in the industry, Murray would be a strong nostalgic choice to act as the SNL 50th Anniversary Special host and sits at +2800 odds alongside his Lost in Translation co-star Scarlett Johansson (a six-time SNL host herself who is married to current SNL cast member Colin Jost).
But perhaps the most intriguing of the longer shots is Martin Short at +1900. Short was a cast member on the show for just one season back in 1984-85, but has hosted the show four times (most recently in 2022 alongside Martin), has made various other SNL cameo appearances through the years, and like Martin has stayed firmly in the spotlight thanks to his current role on Only Murders in the Building.
Short worth a wager as SNL 50th host
Plus, having Short serve as the host of the SNL 50th Anniversary Special would surely lead quickly to an appearance from frequent collaborator Martin, which is always welcome. Take Short at his +1900 line.
My Pick: Martin Short (+1900)
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