Suns scorch Blazers to take series lead
Basketball Betting Lines
04/27/2010 -
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Channing Frye and Jared Dudley had big games
off the bench with 20 and 19 points, respectively, and the Suns ran past the
Portland Trail Blazers, 107-88, in a pivotal Game 5 of their Western
Conference quarterfinal series.
Steve Nash scored 11 of his 14 points during the third quarter and also had 10
assists for Phoenix, which grabbed a 3-2 lead and can close out the series
Thursday in Portland. Amare Stoudemire chipped in 19 points in the win.
"When the game is open court we can use our quickness and our athleticism,"
Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "They're so long and so big. (Marcus) Camby and
those guys just suck up everything on the boards when you're in a stagnant
type of offense. We just tried to open up the floor."
Andre Miller totaled 21 points, while Jerryd Bayless and LaMarcus Aldridge
each scored 17 for the Blazers, who wasted an early 14-point lead.
Brandon Roy, playing in his second game since undergoing surgery to repair a
torn meniscus in his right knee, was limited to five points. On Saturday, Roy
scored five of his 10 points in the final quarter of Portland's 96-87 victory.
He was in the starting lineup Monday, but picked up three fouls in the first
half.
"He got some quick fouls," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "Sometimes you
can't just get into a rhythm when you're in foul trouble like that."
Miller scored 10 in the first quarter, and the Blazers hit first scoring the
game's first nine points, and going ahead 18-4 following a Camby put-back jam
less than five minutes into the game.
As good as the Blazers were in the opening half of the first period, the Suns
were even better in the latter stages of the quarter. Phoenix scored 12 in a
row to tie the game at 25. It started with a technical free throw for Nash.
Stoudemire jammed and Dudley sank a three-point shot.
Jason Richardson capped the burst with a pair of free throws, but Portland
took a 28-27 lead going to the second.
Dante Cunningham's dunk tied the game at 36, but the Suns went ahead for good
on the next possession on Frye's hook shot with 8:20 left in the half.
Dudley's three-ball widened the lead to 57-47 at the half.
It became a blowout in the third, thanks in part to Phoenix's 11-of-12 effort
from the foul line in the period. Portland was within 69-61 with 4:14 left,
but Frye hit a big three-pointer as part of a giant push. It ended on
Richardson's dunk for an 82-65 lead with 1:11 left.
Ahead 84-66 going to the fourth, play got a bit physical. Portland's Martell
Webster exchanged words with Leandro Barbosa after landing hard to the floor
on a hard foul early in the final quarter. The Suns were up by as many as 27
in that last quarter.
Game Notes
Earlier Monday, Suns forward Grant Hill was named the 2009-10 NBA
Sportsmanship Award winner. Hill became the first three-time winner in the
award's history, as he was also the recipient in 2004-05 and 2007-08...Phoenix
went 29-of-32 at the foul line...The Suns were 10-of-27 from long distance,
including 5-of-9 from Dudley...Richardson had 13 points and Cunningham 11.
<< Giants get to Halladay, down struggling Phils
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eli Whiteside and Mark DeRosa knocked in
two runs each, as San Francisco got to Philadelphia's Roy Halladay for five
runs in a 5-1 final from AT&T Park in the opener of a three-game series
Whitesi
<< Brewers batter Pirates again
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gregg Zaun went 4-for-4 with five RBI and
three runs scored while Casey McGehee hit a grand slam as Milwaukee continued
its dominance of Pittsburgh this season with a 17-3 win to open a three-game
set.
<< LaRoche, Haren lead D'Backs over Rockies
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam LaRoche smacked a three-run homer and
walked twice, as the Arizona Diamondbacks held off the Colorado Rockies, 5-3,
in the opener of a three-game series at Coors Field.
Kelly Johnson and Justin Upton
<< 'Hawks close out Predators, face second-round rematch with Canucks
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews each posted
a goal and two assists as the Chicago Blackhawks moved into the semifinals
after eliminating Nashville with a 5-3 win in Game 6 of a Western Conference
quarter
<< Cardinals rally to top reeling Braves
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yadier Molina hit the go-ahead ground-rule
double in the eighth inning and stole second to get into position to score the
tying run an inning earlier, as St. Louis rallied from three runs down to take
a 4-3 d
Weaver, Angels handle Tribe >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bobby Abreu and Erick Aybar each homered, as
the Angels handled the Indians, 5-2, in the opener of a three-game series at
Angel Stadium.
Hideki Matsui drove in a run and recorded his 1,000th career h
Young Thunder exploit fast break against Lakers >>
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -The Oklahoma City Thunder are using the Lakers' age and size against them.Every chance the youthful Thunder get, they're pushing the pace and getting out in transition to the tune of a 47-9 advantage in fast-break points during b
Rockies P De La Rosa has torn tendon band in finger >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa will
miss his next couple starts due to a torn tendon band in the middle finger of
his throwing hand.
The left-hander suffered the injury during the Rockies' 8-4
More than 1,000 people remember K-State player >>
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) - Former Kansas State quarterback Dylan Meier was a tough competitor who spent his time off the field living life to the fullest and befriending those around him, according to speakers at Meier's funeral.Meier was laid to rest M
Making my mark in the FCS Huddle >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There's a framed photo across the office
of the late Walter Payton lined up behind his fullback during a Chicago Bears
training camp. Oh, there's a play about to be snapped. What's the Hall of
Famer Payton do
Pacific-10 Conference odds
Teams that should be in: Stanford
 Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.
Should be in:
Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.
| Southeastern Conference odds |
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State
 It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.
Work left to do:
Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.
Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.
Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.
Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile. |
For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com
Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. 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 strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
|
