American Idol begins is 9th season tonight. The wildly successful talent showcase averages more than 25 million viewers and has been the biggest show in the US for the last six years. It has also been a nice wagering opportunity for those that get their wagers in early. Last season’s winner, Kris Allen, opened at +5000, a winning wager of $500 for every dollar bet. By the final week of the competition, he was down to +240 to +280 where each bet would have paid $2.40 or $2.80 respectively for every dollar wagered. Typically odds are not posted for American Idol until the final field of 40 is set, but Ireland’s Paddy Power has a couple of interesting wagers available right now.

Paddy Power Specials:

• American Idol to be scrapped before 2011 – 3/1
• Simon Cowell & Simon Fuller to be snapped having a punch up – 8/1
  *Must be real physical punch fight and not a joke or scripted affair.

You can also find several outlets right now that are offering -120 on either a male or female winner. However, these are long odds for basically the flip of a coin. So, for the next four weeks just sit back and watch the simpletons, the losers and that talented until the field of 40 is set.

The Road to Hollywood” auditions airs on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and will feature contestants that will compete in the “Hollywood Round” episodes starting on Tuesday, Feb. 9. We will post the American Idol betting odds from outlets around the world once they have been released, typically the Friday before the Hollywood Rounds begin. Check back at the end of the month for the latest odds on your favorite Idol.