American Idol Betting

American Idol debuted in 2002 and it didn’t take long to capture the attention of the American public. It quickly rose up the rankings to become one of the number one reality TV shows in history. The hit series is about to start filming for the 14^th season of the show.

Stars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood started their careers by winning American Idol. The music business is tough, but each year the American public has the opportunity to audition for American Idol for a chance to win a golden ticket to Hollywood Week.

During “Hall Week” the contestants go through rigorous tryouts and only the top 25 make it through to the next round. The top 25 in the competition sing each week with the hopes of advancing and making it to the final 13 where a winner will be crowned.

How to Bet on American Idol

If you’re a fan of American Idol and watch the show each week you’ll love the ability to bet on the show. You can start making a bit of extra money with your predictions as long as you have a good grasp of who will be going home each week or who will win it all.

American Idol Winner – Who Will Win

Example: Caleb Johnson 125 to Win American Idol

Odds on who will win American Idol come out after the first day of a new season, but most of the betting action doesn’t take place until the Final 12, which is when each contestant gets to perform live each week in hopes of advancing to the season finale.

Caleb Johnson who just won the last season (#13) was 900 (9/1) to win once the Final 12 started. Even heading into the finale he was a 125 underdog, yet he still came out on top. In fact, he was never the favorite to win during any week of the Final 12.

Often you’ll get better odds when you bet on a contestant as early as possible. Obviously it’s hard to pick the winner with so many talented singers in the competition, but it’s beneficial to decide on 1-2 singers close to when the Final 12 starts.

Elimination – Who Will be Eliminated This Week

Example: CJ Harris to be Eliminated 140

Once the Final 12 starts America decides the fate of the remaining singers. Based on their weekly performance the judges will decide which three contestants are in the bottom three. America than votes on which singer they want to eliminate from the show.

The forums are always full of polls and user comments, which can assist you in determining who’s likely to be eliminated. This will allow you to take a position in the market each week you feel that you have an edge based on the betting odds available.

Head-to-Head – Pick One Contestant to Outlast Another

Example: Jena Irene to Outlast Sam Woolf 200

When the Final 12 is about to begin a few sportsbooks post head-to-head markets. You’ll be able to bet on a singer outlasting one of the other singers in the competition. If you feel one singer will make a deep run or eliminated quickly this market is great.

Often the early favorites when the Final 12 begins don’t end up winning or even making it to the finals. You can find value in the H2H markets every season of the show. This market has low betting limits, but allows you to bet for or against singer you like or dislike.

American Idol Props

From time to time there are American Idol prop markets available to bet on. One of the most popular prop markets in recent years is betting on who will be the next judge on the show. Lately the show has seen a lot of turnover with the stars judging each season.
American Idol Season 1 Winner Kelly Clarkson

American Idol Betting Tips

Betting on American Idol has been popular for years now and the betting limits on the winner market are relatively large. When you bet on a reality TV show you have to keep in mind that your personal opinion may not be the same as the majority of the public.

You may love a certain singer for any number of reasons, but if you want to win your bet on the outright winner you have to bet on the singer that will receive the most fan support. Singing plays a major role in who ends up winning, but that’s not the only factor.

Despite this being a singing competition you also have to pick someone that has a ton of charisma and someone that appeals to the young female demographic that often dominates in vote share. Most winners also come from southern states, so keep that in mind.

When picking someone to be eliminated you should strongly consider contestants who have already been in the bottom three. It’s likely that they’ll be in the bottom three again and if that’s the case the public will often vote them out rather than save them again.

Try your best to gauge the size of the fan base of each singer as well using social media and other methods. There are websites that are dedicated to providing American Idol analytics, which you can use to identify historical trends to help you find future winners.

With the H2H market you have to consider whether the two singers are close to being eliminated or expected to stay on the show for a while. If it’s the latter you’re often best to bet on the underdog as historically the dog has presented value.

Anything can happen on American Idol, as the American public is very fickle. One bad performance or one wrong move by any of the contestants could cost them a contract. Start small, set a budget for each season and see what type of ROI you can achieve.

Betting on American Idol can be a lot of fun, but make sure you’re also getting the best odds possible by betting through one of our recommended online sportsbooks below.

Sportbooks For Betting On American Idol