Country Western vocalist Martina McBride will serve as mentor and coach to the remaining seven American Idol contestants Tuesday night when the show shifts to a country theme. My imagination has been running wild wondering who will do what, but lets faces it; are we not really wondering what Sanjaya will do?
In a way, the 2007 version of American Idol has become, ‘The Sanjaya Show’. And with 25 million plus viewers tuning in every week, I seriously doubt if Fox Network and its advertisers will complain. While bookmakers put odds on who wins and who gets eliminated, perhaps they should offer odds on what Sanjaya will do because that is what everybody really wants to know. Personally, I would like to see Sanjaya enter the stage looking like Bocephus and singing ‘Whisky Bent and Hell Bound’. Now tell me if that wouldn’t be a hoot.
Oddsmakers at Bookmaker.com have updated their betting odds for this weeks show and if their numbers are correct, Sanjaya stands right in the middle. That meaning he will hang around for at least another week barring a total meltdown on stage and I am not convinced that would get him kicked off the show. What is interesting about the updated odds, Sanjaya has a better chance of becoming the next American Idol at +285 odds than surviving elimination on Wednesday.
Putting that in perspective, oddsmakers predict Melinda Doolittle will become the next American Idol with -110 odds ($110 to win $100). Her chances of being eliminated this week are +3000 ($100 to win $3000). At +285, Sanjaya is now the No.2 leading contestant to win; however, he is the fourth most likely to be eliminated this week at +475. That might not make much sense to a non-gamer but odds are based on how oddsmakers think the public will bet and they are correct much of the time.
According to the books, Phil Stacey will be the one to take a hike on Wednesday and a bet on the bald headed crooner will cost you -165 ($165 to win $100). Stacey’s chances of winning American Idol are set at +3300. If you are contemplating putting your money on him do society a favor and donate the money to your favorite charity. And the same goes for a bet on Chris Richardson whose chance of winning are set at +3000. The Justin Timberlake look-alike also has a good chance to be eliminated this week with +250 odds.
Listed below are the elimination odds for this weeks show.
Philip Stacey -165
Chris Richardson +250
Lakisha Jones +300
Sanjaya Malakar +475
Blake Lewis +1200
Jordin Sparks +1400
Melinda Doolittle +3300
Odds on becoming the next American Idol
Melinda Doolittle -110
Sanjaya Malakar +285
Jordin Sparks +365
Blake Lewis +375
Lakisha Jones +1000
Chris Richardson +3000
Philip Stacey +3300
