Forget those political polls. Public pushes Ron Paul odds down even further this week.

Throughout time (at least the last decade), oddsmakers have had an uncanny knack for predicting political races.  It's not so much that they have a crystal ball, rather the lines adjust based on public action.  When it comes to political betting, the public action is presumed to represent votes.  The theory being that someone who is likely to vote on Mitt Romney probably won't bet on Ron Paul winning.

The gambling public seems to believe that 2008 Presidential candidate Ron Paul stands a very good chance of winning, so much so that this past week odds on Dr. Paul have been slashed further from 8 to 1 down to 6 to 1, with the potential payout of $600 for every $100 bet.  (see betting odds at Sportsbook.com).

This gives Ron Paul shorter odds than Mitt Romney.  He's only slightly trailing behind John McCain (5 to 1 odds) and Rudy Giuliani (5 to 1 odds).  Fred Thompson is the favorite among Republicans with odds of 4 to 1. 

We'll put an asterisk on this one since so much of the betting action on Ron Paul has been prompted by Gambling911.com readers.  Still, it is a reflection of ardent support for their favorite candidate.

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