Maksim Chmerkovskiy may not be Dancing with the Stars this season, but the hunky professional can still take a look at the favorites on it.

That' exactly what he did during a recent interview with TV Guide:

Cristián de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke
[Cristián de la Fuente is] a good-looking dude, and Latin, and has that swagger," says Maksim. "And [two-time champion] Cheryl knows how to do her thing, getting people to the finals."

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Tackling the ballroom floor is nothing new for an athlete "I really like Jason," says Chmerkovskiy. "He and Edyta are going to do great together and make a beautiful couple."

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas
The Olympic gold-medalist very well could have the mettle (get it?!?) to go far in the competition. "This pairing is one of the better ones," Maksim opines, "because they're alike. Kristi's quick and [Mark Ballas] is quick."

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani
The matchup of the diminutive Hairspray star and Dovolani makes Maks more than skeptical. "She's like five feet [tall] and she's with a [six-foot] guy! In ballroom, we like the couple to be more the same height.

Monica Seles and Jonathan Roberts
On that same note, Maksim says the leggy tennis pro should ace the early rounds in the company of Roberts. "Monica is a proven athlete, trained and physically able. I like her pairing with Jonathan because she's tall and he's tall. They're a good match."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.