And they're off!

They've already been on "Survivor" — twice each — but don't count out engaged couple Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich when the latest edition of "Amazing Race" begins tonight at 7 p.m. on CBS/Ch. 2.

"They definitely have a chance of winning," said "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, who added that he has no inside information — that his buddy Rob, who "won't tell me a word" about what happened on the show, which completed production weeks ago.

Sure, the other contestants are gunning for Amber and Rob, who finished first and second (winning a $1 million and $250,000, respectively) on "Survivor: All-Stars." There's more than a bit of jealousy on display from members of the other 10 teams.

But "Race" isn't "Survivor."

"The good thing about 'Amazing Race' is you can't be voted out. So as long as you're not last, you've got a shot," Probst said. "And, hey, the way they're going lately with their show, even if you're last, they could give you one of those get-out-of-jail-free cards and you're still in."

(Yes, some legs of "Amazing Race" are non-elimination, meaning the losers live to race another week.)

Probst knows the duo pretty well and feels they just might have what it takes to win "Amazing Race."

"Rob and Amber work well together. They really do," he said. "They have a ying-yang thing. They're very different. Amber's attitude is — do it the way you're supposed to do it. Do it the way it's been done in the past. If the sign says don't turn on red, don't turn on red.

"Rob's attitude is — there's always a better way. There's an easier way. There's a shortcut. And they know that about each other. So, to me, that could work out well if they know when to go Amber and when to go Rob."

Rob does indeed use his wiles to sort of circumvent some of the difficulties encountered by the teams as they race from Long Beach, Calif., to Peru tonight. Just when you think he's too laid back — he admits that, while he's out to win the million, hey, they've already won that much on "Survivor" — Rob and Amber move from also-rans to front-runners. (Of course, even critics didn't see the last few minutes of the episode, so I couldn't tell you how they finish even if I wanted to.)

Rob remains supremely yet somehow endearingly confident. "We're definitely winning the million," he says.

"We're going to have fun along the way," Amber adds.

"Losing is not an option. I can't lose. In my mind, I've already won. But, you know what, if we don't win it — we've already won a million," Rob says.

Well, Amber won a million.

And Probst, for one, can't wait to see if they do it.