The first is--if all other things are equal between two candidates--is that they often favor a short-long-short cycle when it comes to the length of their tenure. If we followed this logic, John Paul II had a long reign; Benedict had a relatively short reign; the next Pope might be a younger one, capable of a long reign.
The second thing I read was this: any one going into the conclave expecting to be Pope, typically comes out as a cardinal.
I would think that having seen how the ravages of age have plagued Benedict and cut short his ministry, that yes, they will pick a relatively young man this time.