Veepstakes Odds as Obama and McCain Prepare to Choose

The odds makers at Sportsbook.com have made Mitt Romney the +150 favorite to be selected Republican US Presidential candidate John McCain's running mate in the crucial Veepstakes showdown. A $100 bet would pay out $150 if Romney were to be selected.

Tim Pawlenty had +300 odds while Sarah Palin was listed with +500 odds.

Mike Huckabee and Florida Governor Charlie Crist each had +600 odds with the potential payout of $600 for every $100 bet. Romney's buzz appears to be waning.

"An apparent effort by former presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee to diminish the chances of former rival Mitt Romney becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee is reviving questions about whether Romney's prospects are being damaged by opposition from evangelicals and religious conservatives. Gary Bauer, an evangelical leader who is an informal adviser to John McCain's campaign, said in an interview yesterday that evangelicals are divided, but discounted the idea there is an organized effort to stop McCain from picking Romney."

"Bauer said he personally believes that Romney ‘would be a great running mate' and said he has conveyed that message personally to Romney. Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families political action committee, said he was not allowed to say whether he advised McCain to pick Romney."

As for the Democratic choices, Joe Biden seems to be a hot potato right now, but he's also seen as a hot head by many. Biden only had +450 odds compared to Hillary Clinton - still at +200 odds.

Tim Kaine is the huge -300 favorite for Barack Obama's running mate.

The governor of Virginia and the first governor to endorse Obama appears to be a finalist in the Democratic Veepstakes. It's already been reported that the Obama campaign will be holding a big event in Richmond this week, fueling speculation that Kaine is very, very high on the list. It's also been reported that the choice of former governor Mark Warner as convention keynoter has diminished Kaine's chances of getting the phone call.

If anything has hurt Kaine, it may be that the Russian invasion of Georgia and now the resignation of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf have highlighted the importance of a running mate with foreign policy credentials.

Evan Bayh's name has also been tossed out there. He is listed with +400 odds.

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Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter