WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO (May 31, 2006)-This week, 275 of America's top young spellers will descend on the nation's capital to compete in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee. For the first time in Spelling Bee history the event will hit primetime, as the Championship Rounds of this year's contest will be broadcast live on ABC. Further demonstrating the popularity of the event, Pinnacle Sportsbook has become the first company offer wagering on the National Spelling Bee after receiving numerous customer requests.
The largest sportsbook on the Internet, Pinnacle Sportsbook has offered betting on a number of non-sporting events including the chess world championships, major poker tournaments, the Oscars, and reality TV shows such as American Idol. Pinnacle Sportsbook has created unique betting options on the final round of the Spelling Bee focusing on the winner and the championship word. With three more male contestants entered in this year's contest, the odds favor a male winner listed at 5/7 odds (i.e., win $5 for every $7 bet), over a female spelling champ listed at 5/4. Pinnacle Sportsbook believes that the odds are also against the winner being listed as "home schooled" (5/2) and wearing glasses when they correctly spell the championship word (3/2). The odds also favor the champion originating East of the Mississippi River at 2/3 versus living on the West of the river at 4/3.
Pinnacle Sportsbook has examined the Championship Word in recent competitions and believes the final word will contain over 10.5 letters, listed as a 2/3 favorite. Meanwhile, the odds the Championship Word will be under 10.5 in length stands as a 4/3 underdog. Pinnacle Sportsbook also favors the final word spelled containing the letter "e" at 5/9 odds, while the chances it does not contain an "e" are at 8/5. Additionally, the odds that the Championship Word has an alternate pronunciation are a 3/1 underdog.
"With this year's National Spelling Bee attracting a record number of contestants and receiving national primetime exposure on a major television network, the popularity of the competition has reached an all-time high," said Simon Noble of Pinnacle Sportsbook. "After numerous customer requests, we decided to offer some fun odds on the contest to add some additional excitement to the already intense championship round."
Current Odds:
*All Odds Subject To Change*
Will The Winner Be Male or Female?
Male -- 5/7
Female -- 5/4
Will The Winner Be Listed As "Home Schooled"?
No -- 1/3
Yes -- 5/2
Will The Winner Be Wearing Glasses?
No -- 4/7
Yes -- 3/2
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