Who Will Win 'DWTS' Season 31 Mirrorball? All The Teams With Advantages
"Dancing With the Stars" Season 31 is just a couple of days away, and before fans know it, they will be consistently rooting for specific teams and hoping they win the Mirrorball Trophy. However, some teams may have an advantage when it comes to the talent they could showcase during the season.
This year's large cast, which consists of 16 teams, could prove to be unpredictable, with the last few seasons seeing dancers who had lower scores but rabid fanbases propel them to either wins or semifinal rounds, while dancers who were more talented wound up saying goodbye early in the competition. Anyone can win when it comes to the show, and some of the pairs who have been matched up may have better chances at winning the Mirrorball for a variety of reasons.
Here are the teams who may be the ones to beat when it comes to the Mirrorball trophy.
Charli D'Amelio and Mark Ballas
It will be extremely hard to count out the TikTok star and her partner. The show moving to a streaming platform this year could mean that she will have a bigger fan following if fans of the traditional TV format (who also may not be familiar with her) don't follow the show to its new home. Considering her massive social media following (she and Mark have the highest overall social media following on every platform, which is mostly owed to her), and the fact that she got her start with dance videos, she is going to be a force when it comes to a wave of fan votes.
While Charli's online presence is going to likely be a massive asset though, the fact that she is with Mark is also a huge benefit. He has won two Mirrorballs in the past, but it's been a long time since then. While he hasn't won recently, he has still successfully gotten a large portion of his partners to the finals, and besides Daniella, he has the best performance rate of this season's pros, making the Top 3 with his partners 47% of the time. He's also been absent for a few years, despite being one of the show's most popular pros in the past, and his return has gotten fans excited.
Wayne Brady and Witney Carson
Something about this partnership is screaming that it will be the one to beat, as Wayne is an accomplished actor and comedian on his own—but has proven he can work his feet as well with his turn as Lola in his recent run as Lola in the Hollywood Bowl production of "Kinky Boots." He's also well-liked by fans, who could easily propel him through the competition as well.
Similarly, Witney is a well-liked pro, and she has a decent record of success with getting her partners into the finale, landing there in about 33% of the seasons she has competed in. While she also has won the Mirrorball before (taking it in Season 19 with Alfonso Ribeiro), it has been a while since then, even with her promising partnerships. While the edge when it comes to that part still goes to her fellow pros who have yet to win, it's hard to fully count Witney out.
Selma Blair and Sasha Farber (#teamunderdogs)
There are two big things that could propel Selma and Sasha into being a team to beat. The first is the fact that Selma is competing while also battling Multiple Sclerosis, meaning she could have the hardest battle when it comes to pain and other issues that have sometimes plagued celebrities during the competition. However, if she is able to push through and showcase talented footwork, her story of overcoming the debilitating illness-which has no cure-could be one that will resonate with viewers.
In addition, she has a pro that, despite competing for the 10th time this season, has yet to win a Mirrorball, even though he has come close. Following recent trends, where fans reward a pro who has not yet won a Mirrorball, Sasha seems like a sure bet. If he can choreograph and teach Selma in a way that makes her one of the best dancers, they will be impossible to beat.
Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong
Jordin Sparks is a performer by nature who not only has a massive following on social media but also knows what it takes to win a reality TV show since she won "American Idol," which propelled her to fame. She will know how to sell a routine, and she and Brandon seem like a partnership that will embrace creativity. As for Brandon, he is competing for the fourth time, and has yet to win a Mirrorball or make it to the finals-this could be his chance.
Shangela and Gleb Savchenko (#TeamSheb)
Gleb has been a pro for several seasons now and has yet to win a Mirrorball, which, like Sasha gives him an edge with a fanbase eager to give the win to pros who have yet to do so. While he's had great partners before, Gleb has never had a partnership like this one, which, like Season 30's Jojo Siwa/Jenna Johnson partnership, is groundbreaking. While Shangela will be competing and performing in drag, this is still the first male/male partnership on the show. Jojo and Jenna's groundbreaking run showed that two same-sex partners can perform as well as a traditional pairing—and they managed to place second. This pair could be the ones to win it all.
Joseph Baena and Daniella Karagach (#teamDaBae)
While Joseph is still making a name for himself as an actor, the fitness model is still famous thanks to the controversy over his conception-his father is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had an affair with his mother, Mildred Baena, while still married to Maria Shriver. When compared to other celebs competing, he is still more of an unknown when it comes to social media followings and fans he may have, but if he inherited any athleticism from his father when it comes to bodybuilding and fitness, then he might be surprisingly good on his feet as a dancer, making him one to watch.
As for his partner, Daniella is the reigning champ, after winning Season 30 with Iman Shumpert, and she is currently the pro with the best performance rate on the show. While this is only her third time competing, she has made the finals 100% of the time—placing third with Nelly in Season 29. She is clearly good at what she does, which makes her a threat all on her own. Of course, the fact that she is the reigning champ could also hurt them, as the show has followed a trend over the last seven seasons—they have all been won by pros who have yet to score a Mirrorball in the past. Since several other pros are competing who haven't yet won, fans could decide to push a different partnership through to the end.
Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy
If there is one thing that "Dancing With the Stars" fans should know by now, it's to never count out someone from the "Bachelor" franchise—especially the women. Gabby is the third "Bachelorette" to appear on the show in the last few years, and as fans may remember, they tend to perform well, considering Hannah Brown and Kaitlyn Bristowe were crowned as champions in Seasons 28 and 29. If she's as popular as her predecessors, she will likely have a strong fanbase following her to "DWTS."
Being partnered with Val is another strong advantage, as he is also a popular pro, with two prior wins and a strong record when it comes to appearing in the finals. While he hasn't made it there the last few seasons, there have been rumblings following him for a while now that he may be looking to retire from the show soon (he wasn't expected back for season 31). If he is really considering hanging up his dancing shoes, fans may want to see him get one more win before he does.
"Dancing with the Stars" premieres Monday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. EDT on Disney+.
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