Posted on
3/6/2008 6:15:27 PM
Entertainment Betting - American Idol 8 Optimistic Women
By Mike Rose
Only eight female contestants remained after last week’s elimination show saw Alexandrea Lushington and Alaina Whitaker get handed their walking papers. Lushington was a –200 chalk for a reason last week to go, but Whitaker’s dismissal came a s bit of a surprise to me. However, it wasn’t a surprise to the oddsmakers that installed her as a –150 chalk to exit stage left last week. I thought for sure Kady Malloy would go, but I guess fans of the show want to see more of here Britney impressions. Last week was rough for the ladies, so how do you think 80’s week went?
Without further ado….
Asia’h Epperson was the first to take the stage Wednesday night, and I thought she did a fabulous job of covering Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. She did what the judges like most and made it her own. Randy thought it was hot, and Paula felt she nailed it. Simon thought it was second rate Whitney, but also believed it was a good enough performance to advance her into the top 12. Asia’h’s effort will certainly advance her into the next round, but I’m not sure she has the max gusto to be considered one of the female favorites. 15:1 odds just aren’t enough to take a flyer on this short-stacked dynamo.
Next up was Kady Malloy who fell is still competing on borrowed time. She tackled “Who Wants to Live Forever”, and I got to be honest and say I would have rather died than listen to her high-pitched screams any longer than I already had to. Randy thought she hit the high notes later in the song, but didn’t think she supported the small notes well enough. Paula thought it was her best performance yet, which is true, but that’s not saying much at this stage of the competition. Simon still can’t get over her robotic appearance on stage, and doesn’t think he’ll ever get to see the fun side of her translate on stage. He also added that she might be in trouble. Now Kady’s a tough one to tackle. She’s far from the most talented singer in this competition, but her bubbly personality off stage might garner enough votes to allow her to hang around another week. If she does, she must cover something from Britney and finally evolve. That said, this 50:1 underdog has no shot of winning this gig so keep your hard earned money in your pocket and see if she survives.
Amanda Overmyer found herself in the bottom three after last week’s performance, but survived and looked like a totally different person when she took the stage Wednesday night. Gone was her dreadful hairdo and in was a much better version of the bluesy rocker as she whaled away to Joan Jett’s “Hate Myself For Loving You”. It’s quite simple when it comes to Amanda. You either like her or you don’t. She has a very distinct voice, and this song was right up her alley. Randy was up in arms after her performance stating, “This is the Amanda we love, well done!” Paula said she found her niche. Simon thought she nailed it and that it was fantastic. He even coaxed a grin out of her before they went to commercial. Amanda was lucky to escape after last week’s grim performance, but I don’t foresee her having any trouble moving on this time around. The 80:1 odds on her right now are very attractive, but you have to imagine her act will get old as we progress further into this competition. Maybe take a flyer on her now and hedge when it looks as if her wiggle room has faded away.
It was then Carly Smithson’s turn to take the stage, and she looked to build upon last week’s effort that got rave reviews from the judges. When it comes to Carly one thing’s for sure, she can howl. I enjoyed her rendition of “I Drove All night”. Randy continues to think she’s one of the best and states, “You keep smashing it every week”. Paula says, “There aren’t enough adjectives to describe your voice”. Simon didn’t like the song choice because he believes she’s better than the song. Carly has the worst odds of all the ladies at 7:1, and there’s good reason for it. She looks to have the goods for the long haul, so her odds look very decent now as the ladies frontrunner. If you’re of the belief that a female is winning this competition, certainly take a flyer on Carly….I did.
Up next was Kristy Lee Cook who took Simon’s advice and performed a country version of Journey’s “Faithfully”. It was a decent performance, but I didn’t think she had the voice to pull it off. Randy liked the country twirl to it, while Paula thought it could be a country music hit. Simon appreciated her taking his advice, but also stated that the performance was forgettable. When those words come out of Simon’s mouth at this stage of the competition, it usually means lights out so don’t waste your money on KLC at 40:1. she just doesn’t have it.
I felt Ramiele Malubay’s version of Phil Collins “Against All Odds” was soothing but nothing special. Randy scolded her for thinking too much on stage and wants her just to bring it. Paula thinks she deserves to be in the top 12, but Simon wasn’t as impressed. He thought it was good, but very old fashioned and a bit predictable. If elimination odds were posted, Ramiele would be my big dog play of the week. She was really good in the earlier shows, but since then, I haven’t been impressed with any of her performances and she hasn’t done much to impress me with her looks. Her 13:1 odds are way too overhyped, and I won’t be the least bit shocked if she’s given her walking papers this evening. I wonder if she’ll cry for herself like she has for those that have already departed. Guess we’ll find out in a couple of hours.
Before the telecast went to commercial, Ryan Seacrest stated that Brooke White would be performing Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield”. I found myself a little excited to finally see her let loose. Instead, I see her sitting on the stage as she puts forth an acoustic version of the song. What a letdown! Randy liked the rearrangement and thought it was very interesting. Paula thought it was very pure and a wise choice. I just about fell off the couch when Simon stated it was her second great performance in a row. I guess this is what we’re going to get from Brooke throughout the duration of the show. Nothing spectacular, but not bad at all. Brooke is going to stick in this competition for a while, but until she let’s loose, I can’t consider the “angelic” one as a favorite to win it all. Juicy betting situations should arise with her over the next couple weeks though.
The final contestant of the night was Syesha Mercado who also decided to tackle another Whitney tune. This time it was “Saving All My Love For You”. I thought it was a Diva-esque performance, but we never really got a chance to hear what the judges had to say because they’re blabbering throughout the show had them short on time. Randy said it was good. Paula thought it was sophisticated and lovely and Simon thought it was predictable but good. I think Syesha is Carly’s biggest competition of the women, and she could be a darkhorse to win it all. However, her 20:1 odds just aren’t appetizing to throw down a nice sized position on her. Hopefully she sticks around a couple more weeks and that number inflates.
If you find an out offering elimination odds for tomorrow night, definitely hit Kady Malloy up as she failed to impress once again and doesn’t deserve to stick around. How many darts do you think Alaina Whitaker threw at her picture since last Thursday? Also, be sure to hit Malubay up as well as she should be a nice plus sized underdog not to leave but I’ve got a sneaky suspicion she might be done. A position on Kristy Lee Cook is also viable since she won’t last next week if indeed she survives Thursday night. All in all, the guys were much better than the girls this week and one can only hope that the song choices get better overall. Until next week……
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found in the BetUS.com Sportsbook, in Futures/props, under Entertainment Props.