WASHINGTON -- Businessman Donald Trump may be leading in opinion polls for the Republican presidential nomination, but bettors say someone else will be nominated next year.
Two overseas betting sites have former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as the favorite to be the GOP standardbearer next fall, not Trump. They both also have U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in second place. Trump, who owns three New Jersey golf courses and formerly owned three Atlantic City casinos, is ranked third, followed by former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, whose strong debate performances have been reflected in her rise in polls.
Meanwhile, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who is running close to Trump in recent opinion polls, is either in fifth or sixth place, depending on the site, virtually tied with Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The Real Clear Politics average of opinion polls taken Sept, 17-28 has Trump leading with 23.3 percent, followed by Carson, 16.3 percent; Fiorina, 11.8 percent; Rubio, 9.5 percent; and Bush, 9 percent. Gov. Chris Christie was tied with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for eighth place, each with 3 percent.
RELATED: Trump on top, Christie near bottom in 2016 presidential poll
Pollster John Zogby said "it's way, way, way too early" to have any idea who's going to be the GOP nominee.
"The conventional wisdom is taken as serious as it should be," he said. "An informed 'I don't know' is worth just as much as an uninformed 'I don't know.'"
Despite being in fifth place in the poll average, Bush, who began the year as the Republican frontrunner, is the 2-1 favorite at London-based William Hill, which is the sponsor of the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in Oceanport and whose name adorns the track's sports book.
Rubio is second at 5-2, followed by Trump at 10-3, Fiorina at 8-1, Kasich at 10-1 and Carson at 11-1.
At Dublin-based Paddy Power, Bush is at 15-8; Rubio, 5-2; Trump, 3-1; Fiorina, 8-1; Carson, 10-1; and Kasich, 11 to 1.
Christie has odds of 25 to 1 at William Hill and 20 to 1 at Paddy Power.
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.