While Adam Lambert may have lost American Idol 8, we think he will be the winner of this bet. Adam is approachable enough that you want to smile when he smiles and yet retains enough mystery to be intriguing. His classic safe features are combined with just the right amount of gender bending fashion edge to make Midwesterners take notice. And, most importantly, he has a charisma when performing that makes the audience feel this is what he was born to do...one gets completely wrapped up in the moment when watching Lambert on stage because he is something that Allen and Gokey are not. They are singers while Adam is a performer. Lambert may or may not have the longest/most impressive career of the three, but his intrigue combined with the fact that many of his fans flames of devotion were fueled by Allen taking the crown mean that he has a good chance of debuting on the Billboard at the top of his American Idol 8 class.

Bodog has the odds at

Kris Allen 21/20 or $105 profit on $100 bet
Adam Lamber 20/27 or $74 profit on $100 bet
Danny Gokey 10/1 or $1000 profit on $100 bet

Labels: American Idol, breaking down props, gambling, prop bet

posted by Mary at 10:31 AM

Yes, it is true. You can already place bets on the 2012 Presidential Election (actually, you could have bet on this months ago). Look at it as a positive indicator that Americans are becoming more engaged in the election process. There are a variety of lines on offer - the Democratic and Republican Nominees, who will be elected and which party will be elected. Anyone who identifies with one of the two major political parties can benefit from the party to be elected bet. If you vote Republican and bet Democrat you will win (in some way) if either party takes the White House. Rinse and repeat for Democrats.

Right now at Sportsbook a $100 bet will win a $60 profit if Democrats win and a $120 profit if Rebuplicans win.

Party Elected

Democrats -160
Republicans +120

Labels: democrats, gambling, presidential election, prop bet, republicans

posted by Mary at 11:46 AM

Bookmaker thinks it will be "Transformers Revenge of the Fallen" and consequently has the line at +100. Seriously. The "Transformers" sequel. "Night at the Museum 2" also seems like a strong blockbuster possibility to them at +550. Seriously. The "Night at the Museum" sequel. Love or hate these movies, these could be great bets. To quote the ever wise Lisa Simpson "You will never go broke appealing to the lowest common denominator."

XMen Origins Wolverine +550
Star Trek +880
Angels & Demons +650
Terminator Salvation +500
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen +100
Year One +1100
Land of the Lost +900
Up +1300
Inglorious Bastards +900
Bruno +1300
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince +350
Funny People +1300
G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra +800
Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian +800
District +1300

Labels: breaking down props, gambling, movies, prop bet

posted by Mary at 12:33 PM

Bookmaker is taking bets on who will be suspended by the MLB for violation of their drug policy. For obvious reasons, A-Rod is a clear doping favorite (based on the lines). Reading the lines at face value, Adrian Beltre is also suspect. While he has never been charged, nor formally accused, Beltre did show up for his 2004 spring training with a 20 pound weight gain. He also managed twice as many home runs in his contract year than in his career average (average minus miracle year). Beltre denies every having used steroids while David Oritz claims he cannot confirm or deny drug enhancement use as he doesn't know if he has accidentally taken an MLB banned substance (If only we could all request judgment based on intention). Finally, Delgado and Greinke haven't been associated with any scandals, but they have both had amazing and seemingly inexplicable turnarounds.

Bookmaker has Derek Jeter listed as the least likely to be suspended, but Ryan Howard also seems very unlikely. Not only does he have a squeaky clean record, but Howard has also become the golden boy of clean play, getting tons of media love for following the rules.

A-Rod +300
Alfonso Soriano +650
Zach Greinke +900
David Oritz +500
Ryan Howard +600
Albert Pujols +600
Adrian Beltre +375
Carlos Delgado +500
Derek Jeter +1100

Labels: A-Rod, baseball, breaking down props, doping, gambling, scandal, Sportbet, steroids

posted by Mary at 11:21 AM

How many times in life do you have the opportunity to combine grade school and gambling? BetUs is giving you just such a chance with their lines on the 2009 National Spelling Bee. You can bet on the length of the winning word, whether or not the champion will be donning glasses along with their trophy, and the gender of the winner. Ladies have historically had a slightly stronger showing than men, winning forty three championships vs. forty one for the boys. However, this year the guys have the upper hand as they have more overall contestants. There are 150 boys and 143 girls competing this year, making this the biggest spelling bee contest in history.

The grand prize winner takes home 30k from Scripps. How much are you going to take home from BetUs?

Gender of Winner
Male -130
Female -110

Length of Winning Word
Over 9.5 Letters -130
Under 9.5 Letters -110

Winner to Wear Glasses
Yes +120
No -160

Labels: breaking down props, gambling, prop bet, Spelling Bee

posted by Mary at 10:50 AM

Just as CW is changing the face of television revenue, so too is Gossip Girl changing the face of fashion. GG is one of a number of shows on the CW that make up for their lackluster ratings with stunning product placement revenues. While ratings for the show have been modest, it is widely considered the most powerful fashion influencer on TV today. Not only do stores quickly sell out of items seen on the show, fashion designers are also admitting that the preppy chic personified by the characters is influencing their lines. Whether you are a fan of classic Lily or bohemian Serena, keeping up with the Van Der Woodsons isn't easy with the ladies of GG changing their handbags (ranging from $2,000 to $17,000) at least once an episode.

What are we non-upper east siders to do? What we must...Rely on wit and our knowledge of American Idol to get a Balenciaga bag on our arm. Bodog is still taking bets on who will win. Will it be Adam, Danny or Kris? Just make sure it is you. Check out detailed line information from Bodog and get a 10% Bonus on your initial deposit.

xoxo,

Hollywagers

Labels: American Idol, balenciaga, Blake Lively, gambling, gossip girl, prop bet

posted by Mary at 2:17 PM

AT&T's exclusive deal with Apple ends in 2010. Rumors have been flying about whether or not Apple will remain faithful to Ma Bell or get a little action on the side with Verizon. People on both sides of this debate raise some key points...

Ok, I won't try to sugar coat it, Apple has a history of a wandering eye. Though beginning exclusive deals with AT&T all over the world, Apple has, in the end, signed with multiple carriers in dozens of countries. Can anyone that looks as good as an iProduct stay faithful? Clearly a lifetime of fidelity isn't in the cards for Apple and AT&T, but there are some strong arguments that AT&T will be able to score one more contract before sharing the iPhone love.

Most compelling are the logistical realities prohibiting a Verizon/Apple union. Verizon currently uses a CDMA network. Apple would have to create a phone to comply with this technology, which is kind of a problem since even Verizon plans on phasing it out by 2012 and replacing it with LTE (AT&T also plans to use this). Why would Apple spend time, brilliance and cash creating a phone that would begin a quick death from conception? Some people are speculating that talks between Verizon and Apple are essentially Verizon's attempt to keep more people from switching carriers with vague rumors (vaporware anyone?).

Can you sort out this love triangle? If so, BetUS is taking odds on all sorts of iLove action.

Labels: Apple, gambling, iPhone, iPod, Sportbet, Verizon

posted by Mary at 3:44 PM

On one hand, I think that women should have the right to make money and express their life in any way they choose......This includes expressing their lives as decorations for cash.

On the other hand, the following things make me a little queasy - A woman's most valuable asset in 2009 is still her beauty (in dominant culture). Women are actually voluntarily parading themselves on a stage to be scrutinized in bikinis. Media criticisms of the most powerful women in the world are still focused on how they fail as objects, not as intellects. And, to quote Ani Difranco "You know I could go on, but it just gets worse and I should probably stop there."

Maybe you want to party like it is 1959 and take a vested interest in Miss USA 2009. Maybe you think that beauty pageants are great and set up positive role models for young girls. Or, maybe you just want women who are not dressing for pay to profit off this contest. Whatever your take on Miss USA is, you can find complete odds for each contestant, listed by state, at BetUS.

Utah +700
Nebraska +800
Hawaii +800
California +1800
Colorado +3000
New Jersey +5500
South Dakota +8000

Labels: gambling, Miss Usa 2009, prop bet

posted by Mary at 10:40 AM

BetUS has odds on who will be the next rapper sentenced to prison. Interestingly enough, bookmakers seem to think that Kanye West is the most likely to go that route. While he does seem a touch impulsive and narcissistic (actually going on stage at the European MTV awards when his video didn't win to argue that the decision was wrong? Come on) he is also a person whose life demonstrates a lot of drive, discipline and focus. A man who is investing in a clothing line, fast food companies, his faith, charity, his record label and his own brand doesn't seem likely to throw it all away on criminal behavior.

Snoop Dogg is a more obvious favorite with line makers. His legal troubles have been extensive and, while he has an uncanny ability to duck prison despite a seemingly constant barrage of charges, no one's luck lasts forever.

Here are some of the odds from BetUS:

Kanye West +300
Nas +500
Jay Z +1200
Snoop Dogg +500
Young Jeezy +500
Flo Rida +500
Soulja Boy +800
Jamie Foxx +800
Ludacris +1000
David Banner +800
Rick Ross +800
Eminem +1200
Dr. Dre +1200

Labels: David Banner, Eminem, Flo Rida, gambling, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Ludacris, Nas, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Soulja Boy, Sportbet, Young Jeezy

posted by Mary at 2:03 PM

Apparently, the ladies of Celebrity Apprentice 2 are such strong contenders that sportsbooks have quit taking bets on them. It would be hard to blame them for this choice, if you watched last week's show. The ladies were tough, tactical and organized while the guys seemed to be heavy on emotion and light on responsibility. When The Donald asked the ladies (the winning team) who the strongest and weakest links were, he got quick succinct answers, backed up with reasons and examples. When the same questions were posed to the men, he got something like "We all worked hard. I am not the type to throw people under the bus, but you are forcing me to...." Time will tell if these guys can woman up enough to go toe to toe with a team named after the goddess of war, but apparently the betting trends concerning the Rivers contingent and Anne Duke were enough to make sportsbooks wave the white flag of peace. Fortunately, they still have plenty of lines on other reality shows:

BetUs is taking bets on So You Think You Can Dance
Sportsbook is taking bets on American Idol

Both of them are taking bets on Dancing With The Stars

Labels: betting, Celebrity Apprentice, Clint Black, Deniss Rodman, Donald Trump, gambling, Joan Rivers, Reality Show, Sportbet

posted by Mary at 1:29 PM