Crawford helps Hawks top Wizards

Basketball Betting Lines

03/11/2010 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamal Crawford scored a team-high 29 points to lead Atlanta to a tight 105-99 victory over the lowly Wizards.

Joe Johnson and Al Horford each netted 18 points for the Hawks, who salvaged a three-game road trip following losses at Miami and New York. Mike Bibby chipped in with 16 points for the victors.

Andray Blatche ended with 30 points and 10 rebounds but had seven of Washington's 21 turnovers. JaVale McGee and Nick Young posted 20 and 17 points, respectively, in the club's fifth straight loss.

A Zaza Pachulia jumper gave Atlanta a healthy 85-73 lead less than two minutes into the final quarter.

The Wizards cut their deficit to 92-89 when Blatche capped a 10-2 run on a putback with under five minutes to play.

After trading field goals, a Bibby three-pointer and two Horford three throws moved the Hawks' cushion to 99-91.

McGee's dunk had the Wizards within 101-97 with under a minute remaining, but Blatche missed a mid-range fadeaway the next time down, and Atlanta made enough free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Washington stayed in striking distance in the first half, trailing 27-22 at the end of one quarter and 54-51 at halftime after Marvin Williams beat the buzzer with a three-pointer.

Atlanta was never down in the third quarter and took a 79-73 lead into the fourth thanks to six free throws from Crawford in the final minute.

Game Notes

The Hawks have won the past eight matchups between the teams and are unbeaten in the previous five contests at the Verizon Center...Atlanta was 8-of-17 from three-point range while Washington made just 1-of-13 from behind the arc...The Wizards won the battle on the glass, 42-29...McGee also grabbed nine rebounds, and his point total was a career-high...Mike Miller ended with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Washington.

Wwwsouthbeachdiet Basketball Betting News

<< K-State tops OSU, moves into Big 12 semis
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamar Samuels scored a career-high 27 points, going 7-of-9 from the field, and pulled down 10 rebounds as ninth- ranked Kansas State blew out Oklahoma State, 83-64, in the quarterfinals of the Big

<< Capitals clinch Southeast Division
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thanks to Atlanta's 2-1 loss to Columbus on Thursday, the Washington Capitals clinched the Southeast Division crown. The Capitals had Thursday off, but were able to win the Southeast Division for the third str

<< UC Irvine hoops coach will not return
Irvine, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of California-Irvine announced on Thursday that head men's basketball coach Pat Douglass will not return next season. Douglass, who had been at the helm of the Anteaters for the last 13 seaso

<< Bulls' Rose leaves with sprained wrist
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bulls All-Star point guard Derrick Rose left Thursday's game against the Magic with a left wrist injury. Rose was driving the lane in the first quarter and ran into Orlando center Dwight Howard

<< Heat's Wright charged with DUI
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. The Miami Herald reported Wright was arrested in South Beach and was stopped early Thurs

Cross resigns at Toldeo >>
Toledo, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toldeo men's basketball coach Gene Cross has resigned his position, effective immediately, the school announced on THursday. Cross was hired on April 11, 2008 and in his two seasons at the help o

Jets agree to terms with safety Pool >>
Florham Park, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets and defensive back Brodney Pool have reached an agreement in principle on a contract on Thursday. Pool was not tendered by the Browns. A second-round draft pick in 2005 who pla

Habs clip Oilers in shootout >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrei Kostitsyn scored in the fifth round of the shootout, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Kostitsyn's was the only score of the shootout, and came when h

Rask, Bergeron power Bruins to win over Flyers >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tuukka Rask stopped 31-of-32 shots to lead Boston over Philadelphia, 5-1, at Wachovia Center. Patrice Bergeron added a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who snapped a two-game slide. Marco Sturm,

Kessel's OT goal lifts Leafs over Tampa Bay >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phil Kessel scored 3:33 into overtime to give Toronto a 4-3 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Viktor Stalberg had a pair of goals, while Tyler Bozak also found the net for the Maple Leafs, who gained t

Sportsbooks to bet on football

Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.

He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.

"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.

He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.

Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.

Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.

Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.

Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.

With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.

Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).

And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)

The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.

While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.

Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.

One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.

Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.

What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.

That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.

MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.

"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.

"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."

So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.

In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.

MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.

The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.

Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.

MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.

To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard 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.