BETTING ON THE BAD

'American Idol' Sanjaya, the teen with the bad voice, could be worth big bucks if he goes all the way

That hair. The deep, dark eyes. That awkward smile. And, oh, that long, pink tongue. No, we're not talking about Gene Simmons. We're talking about Sanjaya Malakar, the "American Idol" contestant who goes by his first name and has been turning heads for his surprisingly terrible stage presence and his girlish voice.

Let's get one thing straight: Especially after Sanjaya's recent performances, nobody in his or her right mind would say the kid can sing. Yet with the help of Howard Stern and the Web site Votefortheworst.com, Sanjaya has managed to sail into the top nine and coast through week after week of eliminations.

Wednesday night's elimination was decided after press time, but Sanjaya performed Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" on Tuesday. While Sanjaya's surprise showing in the reality escapade has wreaked havoc on the competition itself (Simon Cowell threatened to quit if Sanjaya wins), it has created intriguing betting options for fans interested in wagering on the outcome of the show.

Here in California, it's not exactly easy to bet on "Idol." Betting on sports is illegal, and no casinos are allowed to offer odds on entertainment events, either. Even books in Las Vegas are steering clear of "Idol" this year, largely because of how unpredictable the outcomes have been so far. Sanjaya, some say, is keeping them away.

Of course, you can bet online. A month ago, Internet betting sites such as Bodog.com and Bookmaker.com had Sanjaya as one of the biggest underdogs to take the crown, giving him nothing better than 66:1 odds. As of early this week, however, most sites were giving the 17-year-old from Federal Way, Wash., 25:1 odds, and were predicting that his stock might continue to rise.

Is Sanjaya a good bet? It's a tough question, up there with queries about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the sexual orientation of Michael Jackson (who, by the way, is an idol of Sanjaya's, according to the "American Idol" Web site). Calvin Ayre, chief executive of Bodog.com, put these wagers into context.

"He is definitely the dark horse of the group and has been since the beginning, yet he has still managed to find his way through every week," Ayre said of Sanjaya. "His strong following has been enough to get him this far, and will most likely propel him through a few more rounds." Ayre admitted that 25:1 odds on Sanjaya were "without a doubt tantalizing," noting that a mere $50 wager would pay out $1,250 if Sanjaya were to take the crown.

Perhaps the smartest way to wager on this year's "American Idol'' is to approach it as a game of Omaha Hi-Lo, a variation of Texas Hold 'Em poker where the best hand and worst hand split the pot. Take $100. Bet half on Melinda Doolittle (the favorite, at 4:5 odds), and the other half on Sanjaya. Barring an upset, you can't go wrong.