07/04/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs have picked the perfect time to get hot. Today, they try to win their seventh straight game at home and their fourth consecutive game overall, as they continue a four-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs moved back over .500 and closed to within 2 1/2 games of first place in the NL Central on Friday when Jake Fox drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Ryan Theriot in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting Chicago to a 2-1 win.
Theriot finished 2-for-5, while Mike Fontenot and Koyie Hill each had two hits apiece for the Cubs, who are in the midst of their longest home winning streak since taking 14 straight in the Windy City from May 18-June 22, 2008.
Carlos Zambrano went an effective seven innings, but did not factor in the decision. The burly right-hander allowed one run on five hits, struck out three and walked the same number of batters. He also had an RBI single. Kevin Gregg (3-2) was credited with the win after working two scoreless innings.
"We got good pitching, kept us in the ball game ," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Zambrano, (Aaron) Heilman, Gregg. To hold that team down to one run, you're pitching well."
Corey Hart accounted for the lone Milwaukee run with a bases loaded walk. The Brewers have dropped three straight. Craig Counsell had a hit and scored in defeat.
The loss was also Milwaukee's fifth straight on the road, where it hasn't lost six in a row since a nine-game slide from May 2-18, 2008.
Jeff Suppan pitched to a no-decision after going seven solid innings. He gave up a run on four hits, walked a pair and fanned four.
"We got to start hitting day games after night games, because the last two day games after night games we were shutout and today we got one run, a walk with the bases loaded," Brewers manager Ken Macha said. "So, we have to change that up a little bit. But 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, you aren't going to win many games doing that."
Heading to the hill for the Cubs today will be right-hander Rich Harden, who is 5-4 with a 4.57 ERA. Harden won for the first time since May 12 on Monday in Pittsburgh, as he held the Pirates to a run and nine hits in seven innings. He also struck out nine and walked a batter.
Harden did not get a decision the last time he faced the Brewers, but is 1-0 in three starts against them, surrendering just three runs over 18 innings of those outings.
Milwaukee will counter with righty Braden Looper, who is 6-4 this season with a 4.90 ERA. Looper earned the win against the New York Mets on Monday, as he held them to one earned run and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Looper has faced the Cubs 41 times (nine starts) and is 3-6 with a 2.57 ERA.
Milwaukee has lost five of its eight meetings with the Cubs this season, but won in five of its nine visits to Wrigley a year ago.
<< Moyer shoots for third straight win in middle tilt with Mets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies hope Jamie Moyer can give them
the same type of effort that Rodrigo Lopez did on Friday, when they continue
their three-game series against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park.
Lopez (1-0), w
<< Halladay, Wang square off in Bronx
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In his second start since coming off the disabled list, Roy
Halladay will take the mound for the Blue Jays when Toronto takes on the New
York Yankees in the second matchup of a four-game stint at Yankee Stadium.
The strong
<< Last place teams continue set in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The cellar dwellers from the AL Central and AL West will
collide once again this evening when the Cleveland Indians host the Oakland
Athletics at Progressive Field.
Toeing the rubber this evening for Oakland will be Vin Ma
<< Rays hope the Price is right in Arlington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Still trying to work out some kinks, the Tampa Bay's
phenom lefty David Price will take the hill this evening against the hard-
hitting Texas Rangers in the second contest of a three-game stint.
Price, a playoff hero for
No rest for the weary: Tigers, Twins back at it after marathon >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers will try to put distance between them
and the Minnesota Twins when the two teams collide this afternoon in the
second matchup of a three-game series at the Metrodome.
Edwin Jackson will toe the rubber
BoSox try to bounce back against Mariners >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox will try to return to the win column
when they host the Seattle Mariners this afternoon at Fenway Park.
Boston's starter this afternoon will be Brad Penny, who has one win in his
last six starts. The la
With Manny return behind them, LA gets back to business in San Diego >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the return of Manny Ramirez now behind them, the Los
Angeles Dodgers can get back to business, as they continue their three-game
series with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Ramirez returned from a 50-game suspensi
Reds, Owings seek to slow down Pujols >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Brad Thompson starts against the Cincinnati
Reds for the second time this season today when the St. Louis Cardinals head
to Great American Ball Park for the middle test of a three-game series with
their Nationa
Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
Get all your baseball betting lines, MLB lines and MLB team props at the My Sportbook.
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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.
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