Bo Bice Now the Favorite to be Named Next American Idol  5/18/05

Bo Bice Now the Favorite to Be Named the Next American Idol at PinnacleSports.com

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- After 18 weeks, the fourth edition of American Idol has hit the home stretch as the original field of over 100,000 hopefuls has been narrowed down to two remaining contestants vying for a major recording contract and the adoration of millions. With the country's biggest talent search reaching its grand finale, PinnacleSports.com has released updated odds on who will be named the next American Idol.

The Internet's largest sports betting site, PinnacleSports.com has been offering wagering options on American Idol throughout the duration of the hit reality series. Since betting opened, Carrie Underwood had been the favorite to win the competition, but bettors have now put their support behind Bo Bice in the past week, vaulting him into favorite status and dropping his odds to win the competition to 5/8 (i.e., win $5 for every $8 bet). As the series heads into its final week, PinnacleSports.com now lists Underwood as the underdog to be crowned the next pop superstar at 3/2 odds. As recently as two weeks ago, when only four competitors remained, PinnacleSports.com listed Underwood as an overwhelming 11/10 favorite to be named the next American Idol, while Bo Bice had the second best odds at 9/5.

"We initially saw support for Carrie Underwood beginning to wane two weeks ago as the other competitors improved their performances in front of Simon Cowell and company," said Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com. "Although customers weren't backing her nearly as much as when betting opened, Underwood remained our favorite to win American Idol as recently as Monday. After his tremendous performance on Tuesday night, bettors jumped on the Bo Bice bandwagon, causing the odds to shift in his favor. Bice may have the edge following this week's shows, but the final performances of the competitors will ultimately determine who wins America's vote, so this race really remains completely wide open."

Current Odds: *All Odds Subject to Change*

Odds To Win American Idol

Bo Bice 5/8

Carrie Underwood 3/2

PinnacleSports.com will be offering betting options on American Idol throughout the remainder of the series until the show's finale on May 25. All current odds are subject to change. For additional information, please visit http://www.pinnaclesports.com.

About PinnacleSports.com

PinnacleSports.com (http://www.pinnaclesports.com) is the Internet's largest sports betting site, serving customers in more than 80 countries worldwide. Founded in 1998, PinnacleSports.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry-leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Curacao and the United Kingdom, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, racing and casino gaming. SOURCE PinnacleSports.com

-0- 05/19/2005

see also:

5/19/05 Vonzell Solomon Eliminated From American Idol