American Idol: Place Your Bets Everyone!

European odds-makers have already set the betting line on season 7 of American Idol. How karaoke does that sound Simon?

The finals are still three months away, yet the world is already set to bet the house on the winner of season 7 of American Idol. At the risk of losing what shred of cred I may have had, I admit that I watch the show that launched the Hollywood Walk of Fame career of Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell, and a slew of national anthem singing, future cast members of The Surreal Life (Chris Daughtry not withstanding). According to tip site http://www.allsportslocks.com/, this year's Idol will see more than $1 million bet on the 24 finalists.

UK online sportsbook http://www.bet365.com/ has action open for non-U.S. residents only. Entering the first night of finals competition, Irish bookmaker http://www.paddypower.com/ has domestic sites like online poker giant http://www.bodoglife.com/running a distant second in this year's Sanjaya sweepstakes. While Bodog won't post odds until the men and women merge into the final 12 contestants, Paddy Power is laying odds right now.

Published on http://www.gambling911.com/, a complete list of the 24 finalists and their odds, which is too damn long to include here. For those of you with enough degenerate gambler in you to get down on Alexandrea Lushington at 20-1, God bless you. Log on, knock yourself out. What I will give you here is the first ever Bill Friday, American Idol prop bets - with no payouts available in the US, the Cayman Islands, the Islands of Langerhans, or any back alley from Gardena to Las Vegas. However, if you can find someone to give you some action on these, take it to the bank (preferably cash, in amounts under $1000 per deposit), unless you have an uncle named Sam. In which case, he gets 40 percent off the top.

• Danny Noriega... most likely to play Dr. Frank N. Furter in an indie remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ODDS: 9 to 5.

• Amanda Overmeyer... within 3 years will retire from a career as a Janis Joplin impersonator after her larynx explodes while opening for a Kansas cover band at the Shelby County Fair. ODDS: 2 to 1.

• Michael Johns... after being compared to dead rocker Michael Hutchence by Idol judge Randy Jackson, will have more face time on tmz.com on TV than time at the top of the Billboard charts. Wife will leave him after he is caught on video with Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie and Margaret Cho in a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont. ODDS: 6 to 5.

• Ramiele Malubay... will play short-lived pop career into second career as a contestant on the 11th season of American Gladiators. Will climb the 30 foot-high foam pyramid and punch out host Leyla Ali. ODDS: 3 to 1.

• Alaina Whitaker... will continue to tell Simon Cowell just how good she is after he reminds her one more time, "You're not as good as you think you are." After 9 weeks of this, America believes her and votes to fire Paula Abdul and replace her with Alaina on the panel of judges. Paula tells tmz.com, "She's absolutely talentless!", to which America says, "What's your point?" ODDS: 7 to 5.

Finally...

• David Archuleta, the 17-year-old singer from Salt Lake City, Utah (who at the time of this writing already had 4,569 friends on his MySpace page), wins the season 7 finale of American Idol over runner-up Syesha Mercado. David's devout Mormon parents will file for a preemptive restraining order on season 2 Idol runner-up Clay Aiken. When asked why, young David's father will answer, "Just because I can". ODDS: Even Money.
  

You heard it here first. You could make book on it.



Copyright © 2008 Bill Friday