There are only eight players left in Survivor 48! After David Kinne was voted out in the last episode, I thought it was a good idea to take stock of where things stand and make some picks for the players most likely to make the Final Three in Survivor 48.
Ultimately, there are a few ways to look at it. In most Survivor seasons, one player who makes the Final Three will be a player cherrypicked to sit next to one or two players who have a more realistic chance of winning the game. For example, Rachel LaMont picked Sue Smey to sit with her at the Final Three after Sue showed her loyalty over and over again after the merge. Sue didn't really have a chance to win, so it made sense for Rachel to sit next to Sue and show some love to the player who helped her out. Personally, I'd rather try to pick the Rachels in that scenario rather than the Sues if that makes sense.
So, let's get to it! Here are the four players who have the best chance of taking over the game and earning their spot in the Final Three.
Shauhin Davari
Shauhin is clearly the favorite, in my opinion, to make the big push and win Survivor 48. He's been biding his time in the majority alliance. Now, that the alliance has crumbled, Shauhin should start making his move to the front of the pack. That likely starts with breaking up Joe Hunter and Eva Erickson. Even though Shauhin has worked with them since the start of the game, it makes a lot of sense for Shauhin to make a big move and even the playing field.
There's a lot of room left for Shauhin to maneuver, but who wins Survivor 48 will likely pull in some combination of Mitch Guerra, Star Toomey, and Mary Zheng to make it to the Final Three. Shauhin has great relationships with most of these players, and there are four original members of the Lagi tribe of the eight players remaining. That should be enough for Shauhin to make a deep run.
Eva Erickson
Speaking of those Lagi players, Eva Erickson seems like almost a lock to make the Final Three at this point. She is in a tight alliance with some of the biggest threats in the game. Plus, she has a hidden immunity idol and a Safety Without Power advantage. With four Tribal Councils left before the Final Three, she's going to need some help to make it to the end, but she has the biggest advantage at this point.
If she plays her advantages correctly, she's going to make the Final Six, minimum. Based on how strong of a competitor she is, I think it's safe to assume she'll win at least one more individual immunity. If that happens, she really only has to survive one vote where she'll have no protection to at the very least make fire for a spot in the Final Three.
This is Survivor, and it doesn't always work out the way we think. Players have squandered bigger opportunities than Eva, especially when so many emotions are on the line. Eva has made some mistakes trusting people that I don't really think she can trust, and now that they know how much power she has in the game, she's probably the biggest threat remaining. If she loses immunity, I could see five players teaming up for an epic blindside against a huge threat like Eva while taking two huge advantages out of the game in the process.
Right now, though, she's in an incredible spot to make it to the end of the game.
Mitch Guerra
Mitch Guerra is someone I've been watching closely from the beginning of the season. There's just something about Mitch that makes me feel like he's destined for a deep run in Survivor 48. So far, he's been targeted a few times, and he hasn't necessarily made some of those deep connections to flex his gameplay yet. That's okay at this point in the game.
He reminds me so much of Rachel LaMont in Survivor 47. He was part of a strong tribe, but he never really had a No. 1 ally in the game. It's probably going to mean that he needs to make some moves behind the scenes, use an advantage or two if he can get them, and then win a few immunity challenges to save himself when the vote shifts back his direction.
Yes, he was just targeted, but I don't think anyone is really gunning for Mitch right now. It makes so much more sense that we're going to see the Strong Six alliance or whatever they called themselves against each other in the near future. That could keep Mitch safe for a few more votes. Then, it's anyone's ball game in those last few days on the beach.
Kamilla Karthigesu
I picked Kamilla over Kyle Fraser for this last spot because I think there's a really good chance that Kyle may be picked off in the next few weeks. He's such a strong player, but he's been central to the action in a lot of episodes in a row. Sometimes, that will help a player. Other times, it can put the target on their back. By now, it's pretty clear that Kyle has been working with Kamilla, which is something that should scare everyone. They've been tight so far, but I could definitely see Shauhin or Joe working with players to make a move on Kyle soon.
Kamilla, on the other hand, obviously owes Kyle for saving her life in the game a few times by convincing the others not to target her, but that's also a testament to her gameplay so far. As Rachel LaMont mentioned on the new episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, Kamilla deserves a lot of credit for the relationship-building that insulates her from being voted out. She's doing an excellent job playing her role, and I'm just waiting for her to make that tsunami of a move to take over the game.
We're also moving into part of the game that fits Kamilla's skillset. She's incredible at puzzles, and we know Survivor always closes immunity challenges with puzzle elements down the stretch. If Kamilla could win an immunity or two, she could definitely get to the end.
Survivor 48 Final Three Predictions
Obviously, four players can't make the Final Three. If I were to predict the Final Three of Survivor 48 right now, I would pick Shauhin, Mitch, and Kamilla.
I'm also paying attention to the edit this season, and it sure feels like all three of those players are getting a pretty good edit. We've spent a decent amount of time with each, and I feel like that's important.
While Eva and Joe are the biggest threats in the game, I don't think there's any way the other players let them get to the end. It would be awesome if that happened, but historically, Survivor has not played out that way.
I already talked about Kyle, but something just tells me his days are numbered. I can't explain it, but it seems like the vote is going to shift his direction at some point because of how good of a game he is playing.
Mary and Star are also definitely in the conversation to make the Final Three. Mary suffered a setback with David, her top ally lately, getting voted out, but these two players could easily make a few big moves and find themselves in the middle of the action, too.
So, that's my Final Three as of right now! Watch Survivor 48's new episodes on Wednesday nights on CBS and Paramount+. We only have four episodes left!