Lucas: What are the odds? How Bluffton’s hometown ‘Idol’ favorite stacks up

So Bluffton residents may be a little biased as to who they’re rooting for on American Idol.

We get it.

But ever wonder how ‘Idol’ hopeful Lee Jean stacks up against the rest of the country’s picks?

For the first time since season 15 started, voting was opened to the American viewing public Wednesday night. Results of that voting will be revealed during a live two-hour show tonight when the ‘Top 10’ are revealed.

While Jean, 16, doesn’t have the best odds, he certainly doesn’t have the worst, according to TVline.com.

According to the TV news site, the Bluffton High School junior’s odds are 50-1.

Compare that to another young Idol competitor, Gianna Isabella, whose odds at 100-1 are in the bottom of the ranking, or Dalton Rapattoni — the site’s favorite and one of the judge’s picks Wednesday night —whose odds are 2-1. In other words, Jean seems to be in the middle of the pack.

Wondering what the Las Vegas bookies are saying about the competitors’ odds?

According to Anthony Curtis, one of the world’s leading industry experts on all things Vegas and gambling, there aren’t any betting lines currently open on the show — at least not through any of Sin City’s usual channels.

“But that could change,” Curtis said. “Lines may start popping up after tonight or next week when the competition gets more serious.”

In addition, betting on TV shows and other non-sporting events, is a relatively new thing since Nevada’s state laws changed in 2011 to allow for betting on such things as the World Series of Poker.

So while we’re certainly not advocating that residents take up gambling, what’s the harm in making a friendly wager — if only among family members while watching at home — on Jean?

After all, 50-1 odds makes a better pay day than the crowd favorite.

Mindy Lucas: 843-706-8152, mlucas@islandpacket.com, @MindyatIPBG

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Lucas: What are the odds? How Bluffton’s hometown ‘Idol’ favorite stacks up."