Online Bookmakers Unanimous Over Anwar Robinson, but American Idol Contestants Bice and Turner Making Headway

Betting on American Idol isn't exactly making a dent in online betting operations, but gamblers certainly can find great value

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) March 21, 2005 -- American Idol may enjoy huge ratings success, but betting on the show hasn't exactly caught on like wildfire just yet. Sports911.com, which regularly monitors wagering popularity on specific events, has noticed very little interest. Compare this with the over one million dollars wagered on both the 2004 Elections and 2005 Oscars, respectively. Nevertheless, Sports911 has determined American Idol to be its readers best bet for the week of March 21, 2005.

"It's a close competition," commented Thomas Jensen, Marketing Director for Sports911.com. "And whenever you have such a tight race, there will always be favorable odds present."

Take for example Carrie Underwood. Just two weeks ago she was not only a darling of the fans, judges and - yes - the online bookmakers. Now Underwood is posted at BetWWTS.com with +400 odds. In other words, for every $100 bet on Carrie Underwood, a gambler will take home $400 should she win the competition.

"Anwar Robinson, who performed a flawless rendition of "A House is Not A Home" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, is the favorite to win among nearly all internet sports betting firms," Jensen stated. "But he's also far from a lock, which means we're looking at pay out odds of +140 at BetWWTS.com; +150 at Betcom.com and +200 at Bodog.com. In other words, Anwar Robinson is still technically an underdog to win."

While there seems to be a consensus among online bookmakers regarding Robinson, the next three spots are interchangeable among betting firms.

Carrie Underwood is definitely losing ground across the board. Betcom.com lists her with the same odds as BetWWTS.com, +200. Bodog.com has her at +300.

But Bo Bice and Nadia Turner continue to demonstrate their staying power.

"These are the two that bare watching and offer the best value for gamblers. Bice pays $250 to $300 for every $100 bet depending on the gambling firm. Nadia Turner wowed the judges with her version of the 1966 Dusty Springfield hit "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" prompting hypercritical judge Simon Cowell to pronounce "In a competition full of hamburgers you are a steak." Turner pays $300 for every $100 bet at BetWWTS.com; $400 for every $100 bet at Bodog.com and $500 for every $100 bet at Betcom.com."

Most of the online wagering firms only allow a minimum of between $200 to $500 per bet on these types of events. The payout odds tend to diminish as we get closer to the final week so interested gamblers are urged to place their bets now. $20 is all that many betting sites require to open an account with one's credit card or alternative deposit method.

"Keep in mind, the American Idol competition is evolving each week and at any given time one or more of the favorites could either flounder or disassociate themselves with the show," Jensen advised.

He alluded to Mario Vazquez, who up until last week was the show's leading contender. Vazquez dropped out of the competition for reasons that are still unclear.

With that in mind, there are still a handful of big underdogs to root for, among them Mikalah Gordon, who pays out a whopping $3000 at BetWWTS.com should she actually win.

About Sports911.com Sports911.com is recognized as the leader in online gambling and sports betting information around the world. As a portal begun in 2000 dedicated exclusively to covering internet gambling, Sports911.com has since expanded into various other arenas that has since led to a tremendous surge in readership over the past year. Sports911.com provides all the latest celebrity betting props and exotic wagering opportunities.

www.sports911.com currently displays updated betting odds on American Idol.

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