Bet American in the 2011 Women's World Cup

Are you sensing a theme here?

After Rory McIlroy completely put to bed any thought of an American winning the U.S. Open, we're looking for any sport we can find in which betting on Americans is a fruitful proposition. And thus we turn to the 2011 Women's World Cup.

It's been a long time since Brandi Chastain took her shirt off for the good of her sport, increasing the popularity of girl's soccer tenfold. Since that 1999 win by the United States, the liberty ladies have not hoisted the cup trophy.

We're betting that that changes in 2011.

The complete odds to win the 2011 Women's World Cup, which begins Sunday in Germany, are below:

Germany... 6/5
Brazil... 5/1
USA... 5/1
Sweden... 12/1
England... 14/1
Japan... 14/1
Norway... 16/1
France... 22/1
Canada... 28/1
North Korea... 28/1
Australia... 40/1
Mexico... 66/1
Colombia... 80/1
New Zealand... 100/1
Nigeria... 150/1
Equatorial Guinea... 500/1

Naturally, the host Germans are the favorites to win, but that just serves to give more value to the Americans at 5/1 odds. The 2011 squad is the best that the U.S. has fielded since 1999--and perhaps are even better. Our money is on the good ole US of A.

And if this fails, hopefully once we blow our hands off on the upcoming July 4th holiday, our desire to continue to bet on our home country in obscure sporting events dwindles.

Bet American in the 2011 U.S. Open

No, this is not our version of a patriotic plea to support our home country. It's simply, in our view, the right play at this year's U.S. Open. An American will take this year's U.S. Open, which begins today for all you casual golf fans out here.

Take a look at the odds for some of the top golfers in the the 2011 U.S. Open golf tournament:

Lee Westwood 12/1
Luke Donald 12/1
Phil Mickelson 12/1
Rory McIlroy 16/1
Dustin Johnson 20/1
Steve Stricker 20/1
K.J. Choi 22/1
Matt Kuchar 22/1
Hunter Mahan 25/1
Nick Watney 25/1
Martin Kaymer 28/1
Bubba Watson 33/1
Adam Scott 40/1
Jason Day 40/1
Graeme McDowell 45/1
Brandt Snedeker 50/1
Charl Schwartzel 50/1
David Toms 50/1
Ian Poulter 50/1
Jim Furyk 50/1
Padraig Harrington 50/1
Retief Goosen 50/1
Rickie Fowler 50/1
Robert Karlsson 50/1

As you can see, there are plenty of Americans flying under the radar, including our two favorite picks (both featured in the above video), Bubba Watson (33/1) and Rickie Fowler (50/1), if he can get out of Hollister long enough to compete.

Young golfers like Fowler have been having more and more success on the big stage, and we expect another youngster to take the cake in Tiger Woods' absence in this major. Otherwise, we like the 30-something-year-old Watson, whose long drives make him a match for this freakishly long course. While all eyes are on a different lefty, Watson will emerge this weekend on the first Father's Day since his dad's death.

Either way, we are in for an entertaining weekend of golf action.

2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) Prop Bet: The Christina Aguilera National Anthem

Leading up to the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or funny Super Bowl 45 (XLV) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl postgame Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right!

Our 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) prop bet coverage continues with one of everybody's favorites: The National Anthem. As you may know (by, for example, reading the title of this post), Christina Aguilera will take on the Star Spangled Banner duties prior to the commencement of the Steelers and Packers actually playing this game. On Bodog, we have the following odds:

How long will it take Christina Aguilera to sing the National Anthem?

Time starts from when she starts singing until her last note ends.
Over 1 minute, 50 seconds -125
Under 1 minute 50, seconds -115

On BetUS, however, the odds look like this:

Over 1 minute, 56 seconds -120

Under 1 minute, 56 seconds -120

One of the first things that stands out is the amount of juice required for this very popular prop. To lay -120 on a bet either way is rare (-110 is standard, and even -105 is more common than -120).

Secondly, obviously, is the enormous disparity between these two books on the same prop bet. Six seconds on the National anthem is the equivalent of a touchdown spread (-7) in an actual game, according to Super Bowl National Anthem Prop Betting Experts (read: us).

There is such a great opportunity to middle these two bets, laying the OVER on 1 minute 50 seconds and the UNDER on 1 minute 56 seconds. Frankly, we haven't seen anything like it and expect those odds to change--on Bodog's end. Bodog opened at -120 juice both ways, but as you can see the heavier action on the over is causing the chalk to rise on that bet. Eventually, the total will rise. Why? Because Christina Aguilera will go OVER 1 minute 50 seconds on the National Anthem prop bet. Our research (Embedded YouTube clips) follows.

Take a listen to her most recent anthem available, from Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, just over half a year ago on June 17, 2010:

From first note to last, she belts out a 1 minute 54 second rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, obviously over the 1 minute 50 second mark offered by Bodog. This is a big stage, the NBA's equivalent to the NFL's Super Bowl, so we can expect a similar version to this. While nothing compares to the atmosphere of the Super Bowl, this is certainly one of the best settings we can think in finding a comparative performance.

Not conclusive enough for you? How about the anthem she sung just two days prior, when she took to the microphone for Game 6 of the same Finals on June 15, 2010.

This time, Aguilera clocked in at a slighter quicker pace, 1 minute and 52 seconds. Once again, though, her time falls right in the middle of the prop bets offered by Bodog and BetUS.

Oh say, you can see that Aguilera's most recent couple of anthems have been right in that middle, but evidence of her Star Spangled skills weren't on display all that much prior to her back-to-back in the Finals. You have to go all the way back to an anthem familiar to many Pittsburgh fans, sung at a Pittsburgh Penguins NHL game on October 8, 2005.

Now, given that it was more than five years ago, we put less stock into this performance lasting only 1 minute and 45 seconds. The stage wasn't as large, so there was less inclination to ham it up like many anthem singers do.

If only we could find one more instance of Christina on the Staples Center court in Los Angeles, say six years prior to her recent Finals appearances. What's that? She also sung at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game on February 15, 2004? Perfect!

This time, Aguilera finishes closer to Bodog's mark of 1 minute and 50 seconds, finishing just 1 second under that mark at 1 minute and 49 seconds in a funky anthem at a time when she seems to have been going through a "phase." Regardless, we still see a trend upward as she's grown older.

We have further proof that she's been trending upward with this footage:

Aguilera, as an 11-year-old, sang at the Stanley Cup Finals between her hometown Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992, representing the United States of America with this 1 minute, 37 second version.

Despite evidence that she has stretched her anthems out as she has gotten older, there is a wildcard in the bunch. At a hockey game in Anaheim, Aguilera didn't waste any time with Francis Scott Key's famous tune.

For those of you without stopwatches, that was a meager 1 minute, 21 seconds. Not knowing the event taking place or the date it was held, we aren't sure what to make of this version. Regardless, we are chalking it up as an anomaly. We also know, without video evidence, that Aguilera has sung the anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates game on April 4, 2000 and likely has sung a few others as well, but we're making due with what's available.

The chronological breakdown of Christina Aguilera's National Anthem history, as provided by YouTube, is as follows:

1992 Stanley Cup Finals: 1 minute, 37 seconds

Random Anthem in Anaheim (date unknown): 1 minute, 21 seconds

2004 NBA All-Star Game: 1 minute, 49 seconds

2005 Pittsburgh Penguins game: 1 minute, 45 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 6: 1 minute, 52 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 7: 1 minute, 54 seconds

Due to the upward trend in her anthems (mostly), and the propensity to hold notes a little longer when performing the sports' world's single biggest event, our bet is definitely on OVER 1 minute, 50 seconds at Bodog (-125), and while we're at it, we'll take that UNDER on 1 minute, 56 seconds (-120) over at BetUS and hope to middle this anthem.

But wait, there's more!

Bodog also has this little nugget:

How long will Christina Aguilera hold the note “Brave” at the end of the National Anthem?
Time starts from when she starts saying "Brave" until her the note ends. If she says the full word twice wagers will be No Action.

Over 6 seconds -140
Under 6 seconds EVEN

Looking back at the above videos, here's what we have for "Brave" note:

1992 Stanley Cup Finals: 4 seconds

Random Anthem in Anaheim (date unknown): 5 seconds

2004 NBA All-Star Game: 4 seconds/5 seconds (said full word twice, would be graded as NO ACTION)

2005 Pittsburgh Penguins game: 4 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 6: 6 seconds

2010 NBA Finals Game 7: 5 seconds

Despite our insistence that Christina Aguilera will ham it up at the Super Bowl National Anthem, we think she holds the Brave note for UNDER 6 seconds. She's only reached 6 seconds in one of the six clips available, meaning the under has a 5-0-1 record. And at EVEN odds, it's a way better bet than taking the OVER at -140.

The final talley for Christina Aguilera's 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem prop bet:

OVER 1 minute, 50 seconds National Anthem

UNDER 1 minute, 56 seconds National Anthem

UNDER 6 seconds "Brave" note

Those are the conclusions we draw from our 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem prop bet analysis. God bless America.

2010 World Cup: USA vs. Ghana

Big Game today in the round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup... and who do we, as Americans, like to win this game? America, of course!

We know that this is a Ghana squad that essentially knocked the United States out of the tourney four years ago, but this is not the same United States. The momentum behind this club has that special destiny feel about it that you only find once every, well in the case of the USA soccer team, 80 years (their only place in the World Cup was in 1930, finishing third in the first Cup ever held).

And so, the pick is in:

United States +130 over Ghana

We like the moneyline in this case for a straight up USA win.

Fellow Americans, enjoy the clip above and hope for more of the same heroics from the Algeria game. We try not to be partial to any teams (never a good betting strategy), but go USA!

Tooting Our Own Vuvuzelas as the USA Wins Group C

We hate to say we told you so when it comes to the United States winning their group in the World Cup for the first time since 1930, but hey, we told you so! We even told you how! And at +400 odds and with a thrilling ride, we're sorry if you still didn't pick them to win it. We did all we could!

With England beating Slovenia, the United States needed a win over Algeria to advance. It wasn't looking so good as the game went into extra time scoreless, but Landon Donovan changed that in the 91st minute and the rest, as they say, is history.

We're having a pretty successful run at the World Cup so far, so stay tuned as we go to the round of 16 with more 2010 World Cup Picks and analysis.

An Unlucky Push as the USA "Ties" Slovenia

By now you've surely seen the United States get robbed in their game against Slovenia yesterday, and while it's a shame that the Americans' third and probably game winning goal was mysteriously disallowed, nobody is talking about the real victims in all of this--the bettors!

We correctly picked an American victory yesterday, as we correctly predicted a tie against England, however their comeback was stopped short by the man in the middle. Fortunately for us, we bet the Americans at -200 rather than taking the more appealing moneyline, thus rendering a draw as a push rather than a loss. Still, this has to go down as the worst beat of the World Cup thus far, especially considering how late in the game the apparent non-goal occurred. Add to that the fact that it was a roller coaster game for betters regardless.

Still, we hope to rebound and once again correctly predict the outcome of the USAs Group C matchup against Algeria on Wednesday.

2010 World Cup: USA vs. Slovenia

This is the squad that gave us our first winner in the 2010 World Cup, and we're banking on the United States to get it done again--this time, with an outright win.

USA -200 over Slovenia

The Americans were able to draw even with England thanks to a lucky strike by Clint Dempsey and some rock solid goalkeeping by Tim Howard. The current group leader, Slovenia, poses some threat tomorrow, but not enough to overtake the Americans (who we predicted to win the group).

This Legoland is Your Land...

We'd be remiss if we didn't throw this up. A great find by the folks over at The Bucky Channel, whose World Cup coverage has been second to one (our own), this Lego video reenacts the goals scored in Saturday's England vs. United States showdown--which we correctly predicted to end in a tie.

The highlights of the video are that 1. it includes the audio feed from the game, which is brilliantly called by the announcers and 2. there are no visible Lego vuvuzelas in the very calm stands.

Enjoy the video, and enjoy our continuing coverage of the 2010 World Cup.

2010 World Cup: South Africa vs. Uruguay

So far, we've correctly predicted the outcome to the biggest game in the 2010 World Cup when the United States and England played to a draw. Not a bad start to betting the Cup. And yes, we are tooting our own vuvuzela horn.

Our next task? Ride the home country. We still don't think South Africa gets out of the group, but we'll hedge our bet against the home nation (who, by the way, has always advanced to the round of 16 in the history of the World Cup) by picking them to beat Uruguay tomorrow.

Uruguay is already predicting a victory for, well, themselves. But no so fast. By the power vested in the vuvuzela, we declare the South Africans winners of tomorrow's showdown. And once again, our win will net us more than we lay.

South Africa PICK (+125) over Uruguay

We could take the moneyline for +200, but the extra +75 is worth sacrificing to save ourselves from the ties that have so far plagued the cup. We like South Africa in this spot for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are home field advantage and Uruguay's incompetence since 1990 (last time they've won a game in the Cup). This is the host nation's best chance to get a win, and we just have a hard time seeing them winless in their group.

Good luck and stay tuned for more betting analysis and picks on the 2010 World Cup!

A Revolutionary Tie... We Told You So!

It might not have been how we drew it up, but it was still a draw as we predicted. The USA and England ended at 1-1, making us 1-0 on the individual games that we've actually picked. At +325 for the tie, we picked a good game to win.

And with that, we will stop gloating. But be sure to follow us throughout this 2010 World Cup for more winners and great betting analysis.

2010 World Cup: Betting on Revolutionary War II, USA vs. England

The second Revolutionary War will take place on Saturday, with the United States of America taking on Mother England to open their Group C schedules in the 2010 World Cup.

Had we been alive in 1976, we certainly would have bet on the results of the first Revolutionary War (and probably would have laid the chalk on Great Britain, like fools!). Fortunately, we get our chance to bet on the England-USA matchup in 2010.

While we won't be betting on every game this World Cup, this high profile matchup is definitely worth the attention and the hype it is receiving.

Obviously, we all know how this went down in the 1950 World Cup, the only time these two squads met previously in a cup. The American's makeshift team knocked off the English, and have been waiting 60 years for the chance to prove it was no fluke. That chance is Saturday, and they will prove their point--kind of.

The best bet in this one, in our view, is a draw. At +325 odds, you can really cash in on this one by pounding the tie figure. If you're feeling adventurous, the Americans at +450 is a fun little bet to make, but as we said in our Group C preview, we see a tie here and a group win by the USA based on point differential.

So why will they tie?

Really, it's simple. The United States has A LOT more to play for in this one. While this is the biggest game in the history of U.S. Soccer, the Brits are yawning at the competition in the group and are already looking forward to their inevitable advancement. Some might argue that it is more important for the United States to beat England than it is to advance out of the group.

The USA will have to be nearly perfect on the pitch to get the win, and will definitely have to match and exceed the physical play of their rivals, to earn the victory. In our view, it's unlikely they'll come away with the win. A tie, however, is a different story. The key to this one is making sure to come out with intensity right off the bat. If the Americans can get an early goal, or even show a significant attack, we like the chances at a 1-1 or even 0-0 draw.

So there you have it. The biggest soccer game in the history of the United States, and you can tell your grandkids that you bet on it. If you're not pumped for the big game yet, brush up on your Schoolhouse Rock and get ready to win some cash on Revolutionary War II.

2010 World Cup: The Next Champion Will Be...

It's time for our 2010 World Cup champion pick. Who will it be?

At 4/1 odds, Spain and Brazil are the front runners, but cross them off the list. How about Italy, last year's champion, at 14/1 for the repeat? No thanks. 2006 Runner-up France at 20/1 won't be sniffing the Cup championship this year either.

We could go with a homer pick, the United States at 50/1, but while we picked the Americans to win Group C, we aren't that big of homers. Their Group C rival, England, is sitting on 8/1 odds, but we predict more struggles for the English when it comes to dealing with the expectations. All you can expect is an upset from them in the round of 16.

In our view, it's down to Netherlands (9/1) and Argentina (6/1), and we're going with the Argentines. Injury concerns have us frightened on the Dutch front, though you can expect them to be one of the final four teams remaining.

So there you have it. Your 2010 World Cup champion, according to the new and improved Stock Lemon gurus, will be Argentina.

But hey, there's only one way to find out--playing the games! Kick-off of the 2010 World Cup is tomorrow in South Africa, and you can bet that we will have plenty of coverage throughout!

2010 World Cup: Group C Betting

Our 2010 World Cup group-by-group analysis continues with a little home flavor with the USA's bracket Group C. Before we get into it, let's take a look at the odds:

England... -275
USA... +400
Slovenia... +1000
Algeria... +2500

Clearly, England is the favorite in this group, as they should be. They have the superior team and America should be the biggest, and only, threat to the cross-pond rivals.

That said, the USA WILL be a threat. England has collapsed in the past dealing with high expectations, and the USA fits the underdog label perfectly this year. Expect an over-confident England squad to at least draw even with the Americans, if not lose outright. Both teams should clobber Slovenia and Algeria, which we think will lead to at worst a group win by tiebreaker for the USA.

Rest assured, Brits, we do think England will go on to advance farther than the Americans, but we like the USA, against all +400 odds, to shock the world and win Group C.

Our final Group C standings:

1. USA

2. England

3. Slovenia

4. Algeria

Although there is one thing that can get in the USA's way:

Stay tuned for more!

Super Bowl XLIV Prop Bet: The National Anthem

To see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem Prop Bet, featuring Christina Aguilera in the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Over the next week and a half leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2010 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 44, Super Bowl XLIV, The Big Game, or whatever it's called these days.

Before the Colts and Saints execute their keys to the game, America (and several other countries outside of the United States) will be paying close attention to some keys prior to kickoff -- the keys sung by Carrie Underwood during the National Anthem, just as we did last year when we were quite possibly single handedly responsible for shifting the opening line. If you recall, the long winded Jennifer Hudson's anthem line was set at 1 minute and 54 seconds before we got some research in (aka watched YouTube videos of previous anthems. We found that all three of her available anthems on YouTube were at least four seconds longer than that mark, and strongly recommended the over. Then, the line moved to 2 minutes and 1 second overnight. The result? It took Hudson 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

This year, with yet another American Idol winner taking the opening tune, the results should be much different. Carrie Underwood could sing the shortest Anthem since Billy Joel did it in 1 minute and 30 seconds back in 2007 (in a Super Bowl broadcast by CBS... in Miami... featuring the Colts).

So, let's get down to business this year. According to Bodog, the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV National Anthem prop bet line, as sung by Carrie Underwood:

Super Bowl XLIV - How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Underwood sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note.

Super Bowl XLIV - How long will it takeCarrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Underwood sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note.

Over 1 Minute and 42 Seconds	-105
Under 1 Minute and 42 Seconds	-125

The 1 minute and 42 second line is way below Jennifer Hudson's, and well above Billy Joel's. So where does Carrie Underwood stand and what can Underwood's National Anthem history tell us about her upcoming performance prior to the Super Bowl? Let's get to the tape.

Underwood's first anthem comes to us from June 6, 2005 before Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs in Detroit. As you can see, she starts at roughly :15 into the video, ending at 1:58 (remember it counts through the completion of the final note). Anyone who has ever failed math before knows that her total time is 1 minute 43 seconds, one second above the Super Bowl anthem prop. But don't be so quick to jump on that over. Let's take a peak at a few more videos first.

This next video comes to us courtesy of the NFC Championship game on January 26, 2006, when Underwood was in Seattle to sing the National Anthem prior to the Seattle Seahawks date with the Carolina Panthers. This one begins at :25 and ends at 2:05, totaling 1 minute 40 seconds. This is, of course, below the current line for the Super Bowl by two seconds, and is doubly significant because it is the only anthem on file of her at a football game. That under is suddenly looking appealing, if only we could see a couple more videos...

Next up is July 11, 2006 at the MLB All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. This video serves both as research and a further reminder of how nice it will be not to listen to Joe Buck on Super Sunday. The singing starts at :32 in and goes until 2:10, giving us a total anthem time of 1 minute 38 seconds, now four (FOUR!) seconds below the line. We're starting to see a pattern here as she continues to progress. How about one more video to cement our bet?

Our last piece of video evidence comes from the 2007 World Series on October 27, 2007. Underwood sang the Star Spangled Banner prior to Game 3 of the series between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies, with this the first game in Colorado. Take a listen to this one and not only will you be rewarded with more Joe Buck at the end, but you'll hear that she starts at :23 and ends 1:59. She trails off a little and it is difficult to spot the exact end, but we think 1:59 is a fairly safe judgement. This would mean that her most recent anthem went 1 minute and 36 seconds, a full six seconds below her prop bet line of 1 minute 42 seconds. That's about all the information we need.

Let's review:

June 6, 2005: 1 minute, 43 seconds (one second OVER her Super Bowl line)

January 22, 2006: 1 minute, 40 seconds (two seconds UNDER)

July 11, 2006: 1 minute, 38 seconds (four seconds UNDER)

October 27, 2007: 1 minute, 36 seconds (six seconds UNDER)

With each passing anthem, Carrie Underwood has taken less and less time to sing the Star Spangled Banner. We understand that it is the Super Bowl and some singers milk the opportunity for all it's worth (see Hudson, Jennifer from last year), but we don't see Underwood going that route. It isn't like she hasn't sang the National Anthem at a big event before, already hitting both of the other major sports' championships, an all-star game and the NFL's next best thing to the Super Bowl. For us, the above videos provide all the evidence we need to make a sizeable bet on the UNDER 1 minute and 42 seconds, at just -125 juice.

About That World Baseball Classic...

We've received several e-mails over the last few days regarding the World Baseball Classic and who we would bet on. 

For the most part, apathy has prevented us from posting anything about it. 

But ask, and you shall receive (though rarely any books are still taking futures on who will win at this point). 

If we had to bet on the WBC, we would take our home town team, the good 'ol US of A. The United States pitching staff will just wear down the competition, even in such a short tournament. 

Roy Oswalt (pictured above) is just one of the many weapons the USA has on the mound, and the team's depth makes the pitch count limitations less of an obstacle for the US. 

The States opened at about +175 to win the whole thing, and as they've advanced, you can imagine the line is nowhere near that anymore. 

Still, if you get the chance to bet on the United States head-to-head, that's probably the wisest investment you can make in this tourney. 

2009 March Madness NCAA Tournament is Near

It's the first Presidents Day for Barack Obama as the new leader of the United States, which reminds us of several things. Mainly, holy crap, we're halfway through February already.

What this means for us at Stock Lemon is that it will soon be March, where we will turn into the main squeeze on 2009 March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament Bets.

After that, Obama's White Sox and the other 29 teams in the MLB will begin regular season play, and they are already reporting to Spring Training.

So, on this Presidents Day, ask not what Stock Lemon can do for you, but ask what you can do for Stock Lemon. Such as continuing to read our analysis and picks as we head into Spring.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The National Anthem

To see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem Prop Bet, featuring Christina Aguilera in the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Over the next week and half leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it.



Before the Steelers and Cardinals can execute their keys to the game, America (and several countries outside the United States) will be paying close attention to some keys prior to kickoff--the keys song by Jennifer Hudson during the National Anthem.



The former American Idol contestant, whether she knows it or not, will be responsible for what might be the first of many prop bets for millions around the world.



Bodog currently has the following odds:



Super Bowl XLIII - How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Hudson sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note. Singles Only. Max $50. (This Prop is Closed for Betting)

Over 1 Minute and 54 Seconds -250

Under 1 Minute and 54 Seconds +195



Thanks to modern technology, aka Youtube, we're able to disect this proposition wager and determine the best possible bet. And we've determined that the Over is, even at -250 odds, an absolute steal. The evidence is below.



Let's first take a look at the Anthem that Hudson delivered at the Democratic National Convention on August 28, 2008.









Her first note starts at about :02 into the video and ends at the 2:03 mark. Simple math will tell you that that equates to a 2 minute and 1 second long anthem, seven seconds longer than the prop bet calls for.



What's interesting about this clip is that you'll notice that she could have been done at about the 1:50 mark when she finished the last word of the song, only to repeat it again immediately after, which would put the anthem at just 1 minute and 48 seconds.



Fear not, over bettors, because she would have held out that last note and dragged out the word "brave" if not for her putting her own creative spin on the Anthem. And, yes, we have more evidence to support our claim.



Here's another Anthem which, despite its phone camera quality, is very telling. This one is from Jackie Robinson Day back on April 15, 2007, prior to a Dodgers-Padres game.









This one, high quality as it is, cuts off the first two words of her performance (Oh Say), beginning with the word "can." It's hard to tell exactly when it stops, but we're going to guess its around the 1:58 mark. Remember, the bet ends on the very last note, and even without two words, she's still four seconds longer than the over/under.



Since the Dodger game is obviously a sports venue, we feel pretty confident that we'll get a similar Anthem out of her at the Super Bowl.



Finally, although Hudson, like many others, tends to drag out more notes or add a creative element during live performance--which the Super Bowl will be, of course--we thought we would go ahead and include her studio release of the famliar tune, in case anyone is paranoid that the audience at either previous performance caused her to go longer than she normally would.









The studio version begins at about the :18 mark and finishes at 2:16 for a grand total of 1 minute and 58 seconds. So, let's recap.



DNC August 28, 2008: 2 minute 1 second; 7 seconds longer than over/under

Dodgers April 15, 2007: 1 minute 58 seconds (w/o two words); 4+ seconds longer than o/u

Recorded version: 1 minute 58 seconds; 4 seconds longer than o/u

Needless to say, we're pretty confident that when Hudson ends with "And the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave," she'll be well over the 1 minute and 54 second mark.

Be brave and feel free to make that bet.



Get all of the latest NFL odds by visiting BetFirms.com.

Barack Obama Wins Presidency

Barack Obama has defeated John McCain in a landside in the 2008 Presidential Election, as we predicted weeks ago.

Obama preached change throughout his campaign, and we hope that you won a little change by voting on the clear favorite down the stretch.

You're going to hear a lot about the significance of Obama's win in terms of him being the first African-American President of the United States, but even more significant is the fact that the Washington Redskins are now 18-1 in predicting the next president.

With the Redksins losing their last home game prior to the election to the Steelers yesterday, the system called for the incumbent party to lose in the election. Indeed, Republican John McCain lost worse than the Skins the night before, putting the system back on track.

All Obama had to do was ride the Bus, or at least Jerome Bettis' former team, to lead him to the White House.

It's important to note once again that this system was a perfect 17-0 prior to the 2004 election, when George W. Bush had to ruin everything by defeating John Kerry in the election despite a Redskins loss to the Packers before voting day. Judging by the way Kerry attempts to catch a football, though, we think it's only fair that he was the one to buck the trend. So, after going winless since 2000, the Redskins last home game system is back on a winning streak.

We hope you went out and voted today, and we hope that your next vote will be one for Stock Lemon. And hopefully you cast that vote more than once every four years. Come back soon!

Don't Forget to Vote Today!

As a friendly public service announcement to our readers, we would like to remind everyone to go out and vote today on who you think should be the next president of the United States... or for whoever you are betting on.

We recommended Barack Obama a few weeks ago, and he is still the clear favorite, so if you can get him at any decent odds go ahead and take that bet.

As you can tell from the picture, the loser of the presidential election might have a career in the NFL ahead. Even if John McCain can't catch passes above his head.

No matter if you're Democratic or Republican, go out and vote... for Obama so that we can win some money.

Steelers Win, is Obama Next?

Earlier, we told you about the Redskins last home game before the election system which is 17-1 in predicting the next president of the United States since 1936. With that 94% system and a 62% Free NFL Pick system of our own, the odds favored our pick of the Steelers at +2 tonight, since the Democrats are heavy favorites to win the office tomorrow.

Although some (ahem, ESPN) adjust this stat and say that it is 17-0 since 1940 based on who wins popular vote rather than who the incumbent party is, either way it's an impressive stat and one that we were going to ride. Since Barack Obama looks to be the favorite over John McCain in the presidential election, we went with Pittsburgh, and rightfully so.

The Steelers took care of the Redskins on Monday Night Football, 23-6, which, if Barack Obama wins tomorrow, would improve the election system to 18-1. When the Redksins lose, so does the incumbent party, so look out John McCain.

More importantly, the Steelers win gives our Free NFL Picks a 4-0 week, improving them to a total of 17-10-2 on the year, up to 63%.

Here's a look at how our Free NFL Picks have done on a week-by-week basis:

Week 1: 3-2
Week 2: 2-1
Week 3: 2-1
Week 4: 2-1
Week 5: 0-0-1
Week 6: 3-0

Week 7: 0-3

Week 8: 1-2-1

Week 9: 4-0

Total: 17-10-2... 63%

As you can see, the picks have been a little streaky lately, but hopefully we're back on track after this 4-0 week.

Stay with us as we continue to provide winning Free NFL Picks throughout the year, as well as a winning politcal pick tomorrow.