CBS has unveiled the cast of the upcoming 16th edition of “The Amazing Race,” which kicks off Feb. 14 on CBS. This season, the race will reportedly feature stops in Puerto Veras, Chile; a repeat visit to Bariloche, Argentina; Singapore; the Seychelles islands; France; and Liverpool, England.

I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty pleased with the cast. Though a couple of teams look potentially annoying, no one seems totally awful, which is a nice improvement over past seasons. And there aren’t a whole lot of model/actor types either, which is nice. The seasons with the most normal people always seem better. There’s an interesting age split too – by my count, eight competitors over 40, and six 24 or under. I have high hopes for a good season.

Here are my first impressions and predictions on how they’ll do (video interviews and complete bios are online at CBS.com):

Caite & Brent

Caite & Brent

Dating models from South Carolina. You’ll remember Caite as the Miss Teen South Carolina seen on YouTube who rambled incoherently about maps “and such as” a couple of years ago. Now she’s older (20, still the youngest “TAR” competitor ever, since the family season never happened) and wants to prove she’s not a dingbat. Yeah, good luck there. She says she expects to be engaged by her 21st birthday (no pressure there, Brent) and although she denies being a “pageant girl,” comes off as a hot-headed, win-at-any-cost egomaniac who can’t ever stop talking. Brent comes off as kinda creepy. He’s 28 and has known Caite since she was 17 (hmmm), stares straight into the camera when he’s not talking, and comes off like a robot. Which matches his super shiny face.

Prediction: I’m going to hate these two. But I think they’ll be gone early.

Carol & Brandy

Carol & Brandy

Lesbian couple from L.A. who’ve been dating for five months. Carol, 47 (the bleached blonde), seems a little tightly wound and the quieter of the two. Brandy, 40, seems more relaxed, more outgoing and super competitive. They view the race as a test of their relationship, which always seems like a bad idea. But they appear smart, fit and have a good attitude. Their goal is to become the first female team to win, and I think they’ve got a shot to last a while.

Prediction: Top five.

Dana & Adrian

Dana & Adrian

Ambiguously-named married couple from Texas who were high-school sweethearts. Adrian, 40 (the husband), seems unusually thoughtful for a reality show contestant. He’d better not overthink things. Dana, 39, is the more adventurous, spontaneous one. Sounds like she has a bit of a temper too – he describes her a cobra: “She sits there and takes it for a few minutes, then lashes out.” Ouch. Sounds like they’ve both gone through a lot of adversity in life and emerged stronger for it. Neither one has traveled much, but they’re ambitious, goal-oriented and strong, and that can be a crucial advantage in the race.

Prediction: They seem likable. Demeanor-wise, they remind me of Chip & Kim from Season 5. A strong top-three contender.

Jet & Cord

Jet & Cord

Cowboy brothers from Oklahoma. And yes, the guy’s really named Jet. They’re both professional bull riders used to high levels of focus and competition, and as Jet aptly points out, nothing on the race will likely be as unnerving as crawling on the back of an 1,800-pound bull. Jet, 30 (the one in the black hat), is that talker of the two. They haven’t traveled much at all (their favorite places are “home” and Texas), so there could be some culture shock coming. But their biggest problem may be their giant rodeo belt buckles — geez, have fun getting those through airport security. Notice I didn’t say a thing about Cord? Let’s just say he’s a man of few words.

Prediction: They seem nice and folksy, but I don’t think they’ll last long. Maybe even the first to go.

Jody & Shannon

Jody & Shannon

Grandmother and granddaughter from Texas. Jody, 71, is “TAR’s” oldest competitor ever, but she’s a personal trainer/endurance athlete who sounds like she can wipe the floor with folks a third her age. She ran a triathlon at 69, for God’s sake! Don’t let looks fool you, she could be a seriously strong competitor. Shannon, 22, is also a runner and triathlon veteran. They’ve both done a good bit of world traveling, especially in Asia, which could come in handy. They’re billing themselves as the team most likely to be underestimated, which is probably correct.

Prediction: Though I think they have what it takes to last deep into the race, my gut is telling me they’ll be out by the halfway point.

Joe & Heidi

Joe & Heidi

Married couple from Southern California. Joe, 42, comes off as kinda an ass. He admits he’ll be the problem child, being intense, obnoxious and loud, and makes it very clear that he’s the leader of his team and will be making the important decisions. Hmmmmm. Heidi, 37, is a stay-at-home mom who says she wants to prove to herself (and probably Joe) that she’s strong enough to overcome challenges on her own. Should be an interesting dynamic. And by “interesting,” I mean potentially cringe-worthy. They’ve traveled a lot, and Joe speaks fluent Mandarin, which could come in handy.

Prediction: He’ll be a loudmouth, but they might last a while. Final five.

Dan & Jordan

Dan & Jordan

Brothers from Rhode Island. This is an interesting team. Dan, 24, is a control freak who hates to travel and is an insane Boston sports fan (even more than Boston Rob: he lists his major life accomplishment as attending the outdoor Bruins hockey game at Fenway Park a few weeks ago, and his dream is to get a job with a Boston pro sports team). Jordan, 22, is very gay, seems to fit in a lot better in the real world, and is an “Amazing Race” superfan. And here’s the twist: Dan doesn’t seem to care about the race at all – he’s just there because Jordan really wanted to, and he wanted to be a nice brother. Um, if you don’t care about running the race, you’re going to get run over. Hope there’s satellite TV at the Elimination Station so he can catch Celtics games.

Prediction: I can see some infighting among this team. Probably when Jordan yells at Dan for not playing hard. A one-man team can’t last long; they’ll be eliminated around the middle.

Jordan & Jeff

Jordan & Jeff

Dating couple who previously appeared on “Big Brother” (she won). I’m not a “Big Brother”-watcher, but I’ve been told they were pretty good. I’m dubious; they just seem annoying. Jordan, 22 (whose voice, ohmigod, drives me up the wall), anticipates they’ll fight a lot and acknowledges the possibility that they’ll end up hating each other after this is done. Yikes. Jordan, 31, says the race could be a “make us or break us” moment, which is not only a tired cliche, but a stupid idea. He’s impatient and irritable, and they both say communication will be their biggest challenge. They’re also prepared for some resentment from other racers because of their previous TV experience, so at least they’re self-aware.

Prediction: Call them the Bickersons. But those types always linger, and their reality show experience might be helpful. Final five.

Louie & Michael

Louie & Michael

Undercover narcotics detectives from Rhode Island. Louis, 47, is the shorter one who looks like a pro wrestler, though he apparently has a heart of gold and everyone loves him. Michael, 45, talks like Ray Romano and is the “bad cop” in the whole “good cop/bad cop” scenario. They think their experiences as cops – dealing with stressful situations and overcoming language barriers – will help them in the race. The pressure’s on these guys – they say if they lose, their police buddies will destroy them with merciless ridicule. Don’t discount fear of embarrassment – that, along with their fitness and street smarts, might get them far. I get a good vibe from these guys, kinda reminiscent of Kevin & Drew from Season 1.

Prediction: Final three, and my team to beat.

Monique & Shawne

Monique & Shawne

Friends/moms/attorneys from New Jersey. They’ve been friends for a long time, have experienced life together (they’re both 39) and have traveled together, so that’s gotta help. Their bios and interview don’t reveal a whole lot – sure, as attorneys they’re detail-oriented and analytical and ambitious, but it takes more than that to win the race. On the other hand, they’re running the race for fun, not to prove anything, so that might take a little pressure off. They both seem very level-headed, but lack a real competitive spark.

Prediction: I don’t think they’ll last long; maybe a few episodes, then they’ll fade.

Steve & Allie

Steve & Allie

Father and daughter from Southern California. Steve, 57, is a pro baseball coach (for the Phillies) and is looking forward to getting some quality bonding time with Allie, 23. They admit they’re not great with directions and get lost easily, which doesn’t bode well. Steve says their key will be to slow down, pay attention and read instructions carefully. Which is nice in theory, but you need a sense of urgency too. These guys might lack that. But they seem nice.

Prediction: One of the first to go.