Dancing with the Stars has become one of the biggest guilty pleasures ever to hit the small screen. A surprise hit for ABC two summers ago, Dancing with the Stars has become oone of ABC's highest rated shows. The celebrities on this season are diverse and look like a group ready to put on another entertaining season. Here is an analysis of who I consider to be this year's top nine contenders for the Dancing with the Stars crown.

Jerry Springer & Kym Johnson

At the ripe old age of 62, Springer looks like he'll be the next Star eliminated from the program. This is unfortunate, because Springer has proven himself to be quite a delightful fellow, unafraid to be self-deprecating, but also giving the dances his all where so many in his situation might have made a mockery of it.

Odds of Winning: 4,374,492,550 to 1

Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke

Emmitt, who has to be on bad knees at this point, is doing a more than admirable job in his stint on Dancing with the Stars. Had he entered this contest ten years ago, he may have been the front runner, but it seems his flexibility is gone, which is what happens when you're pulverized by 300-pound linebackers for fifteen years. Regardless, his dances have style and I hope he stays on for a little while longer.

Odds of Winning: 60 to 1

Harry Hamlin & Ashly DelGrosso

Here's the problem with Harry Hamlin: he's taking himself WAY too seriously. It's Dancing with the Stars, Harry. The show is silly by nature. However, Harry seems to go into every dance like a method actor preparing for their biggest movie role. He dances okay, but the TV viewers love someone able to poke fun at themselves. Harry's not that person.

Odds of Winning: 40 to 1

Monique Coleman & Louis van Amstel

You'd think that Monique would be one of the better performers on Dancing with the Stars; she's not. Monique seems like a nice girl, but the lack of true dancing ability is going to catch up with her sooner rather than later. Maybe if Monique's light switch suddenly goes on and she figures dancing out, she'll have a shot. But that's unlikely.

Odds of Winning: 25 to 1

Sara Evans & Tony Dovolani

On the last episode of Dancing with the Stars, Sara Evans performed my favorite dance of the night; a jive to “These Boots were made for Walkin'”. So, why don't I have her closer to the top? That dance's allure was largely attributed to the choreography. Sure, she performed very well, but so could most anybody. Sara is a likable presence, and a game dancer, but she has little shot of winning.

Odds of Winning: 18 to 1

Vivica A. Fox & Nick Kosovich

What Vivica lacks in technical ability, she makes up for in style. The true dark horse on Dancing with the Stars, Vivica A. Fox has always had attitude in her film roles, and this spark comes through in her dancing. The most encouraging part of her performances thus far has been her steady improvement week to week. If she keeps this up, who knows how good she'll be by the end of the season.

Odds of Winning: 10 to 1

Willa Ford & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Willa Ford is the token Really Hot Chick on this season of Dancing with the Stars, and she doesn't mind flaunting it. Willa isn't the most polished of dancers but, as the judges have stated, she may have the most raw ability of anyone on the show. If she can reach something close to her ultimate potential by the final few weeks, she may be able to pull an upset.

Odds of Winning: 7-1

Joey Lawrence & Edyta Sliwinska

Joey Lawrence has shown that he can dance. This much is obvious. He has also shown a propensity to break the rules of the different dances, which the judges have chided him for. In most seasons of Dancing with the Stars, Joey might have been the runaway favorite. He only has one problem; he's exactly like Mario Lopez, except worse.

Odds of Winning: 4-1

Mario Lopez & Karina Smirnoff

Mario Lopez is a ringer. Although he says he had never danced before, it has become clear that while growing up, Lopez was an avid student of dance. But who cares? He has been dynamic and flashy, with a rare amount of technical expertise for a (supposed) amateur. The only thing standing in the way of Mario Lopez winning Dancing with the Stars is himself: once he stops breaking the rules, he should easily come out of this season as the victor.

Odds of Winning: 3-2

-Oscar Dahl/BuddyTV