<< Rodriguez, Astros down Rangers
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wandy Rodriguez pitched eight strong innings and Hunter Pence drove in three runs, as the Houston Astros downed the Texas Rangers, 7-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park. Rodri

<< Sheff cooks up a Detroit victory over St. Louis
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gary Sheffield had four hits, including the winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, boosting the Detroit Tigers to an 8-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a game delayed nearly 2 1/2 hours b

<< Kendrick dazzles A's; Phils snap six-game losing streak
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Kendrick tossed eight shutout innings, as Philadelphia snapped its longest losing streak of the season with a 4-0 win over Oakland, in the middle installment of a three-game interleague series. Kendric

<< Twins keep on rolling with drubbing of Pads
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brendan Harris and Craig Monroe clubbed two- run homers, and the Minnesota Twins got to Greg Maddux to post their eighth straight victory, 9-3, over the San Diego Padres. Carlos Gomez had three hits, incl

Lee tallies 11 Ks as Indians top Giants >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cliff Lee didn't let a rain delay nearing two hours stop his season-long momentum, as the southpaw struck out a career-best 11 Giants over eight frames in Cleveland's 4-1 victory over San Francisco. Rain de

Arthur waits and waits...then traded to Portland >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darrell Arthur's stock slipped in the first round of the NBA draft, and after he was finally taken 27th by New Orleans, he was shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash considerations. A forward of t

Heat acquire Chalmers from Minnesota in draft night trade >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat acquired the draft rights to Kansas guard Mario Chalmers, the 2008 NBA Draft's 34th overall pick, from Minnesota in exchange for a pair of future second-round selections and cash conside

Boston acquires Walker from Washington >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington traded the draft rights of Kansas State forward Bill Walker, the 47th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, to defending-champion Boston for cash considerations. Walker is best known as Michae

2007 Academy Award Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.

American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 6.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting Season 6 strategies.

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