Sorry ladies, odds say cute Luke will get the boot

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Nobody is immune to the lure of “American Idol,” least of all the online betting sites. They’re getting in on the fun -– and cashing in on the franchise -– by allowing users to bet on who will win.

Although some gambling sites are not releasing odds until only 12 dreamers remain, others have let the betting begin. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has declared David Archuleta the early favorite to win the crown, listing his odds at 10-11.

At Paddy Power, Michael Johns (6-1) and Carly Smithson (7-1) fill out the top tier. Luke Menard (100-1, ouch) gets the least-likely-to-win odds, accompanied by Amanda Overmyer and David Cook (both 50-1).

On Pinnacle Sports, David Archuleta dramatically leads the race (-130), tailed again by Carly (+453) and Michael (+813). According to gamblers on the site, Chikezie Eze (+15,000) is least likely to win it all.

Another insight on who will exit the Idoldome next is available at dialidol.com. The site measures the percentage of calls to each contestants’ lines that are met with busy signals, using the info to predict who will be voted off next. This week, Archuleta was the only contestant “not predicted to be voted off.” All other contestants lurked in the yellow zone, with poor Luke dangling from the bottom, along with Danny Noriega, Kady Malloy, Syesha Mercado and fallen idol Alaina Whitaker. If I just named one of your favorites, vote early and vote often!

-- Stephanie Lysaght