Blazers sign Babbitt

Basketball Betting Lines

07/06/2010 - Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Luke Babbitt, the 16th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft.

Babbitt was selected by Minnesota, but was then traded on draft night, along with forward Ryan Gomes to the Blazers for swingman Martell Webster. Gomes was later waived by the Blazers.

The 21-year-old Babbitt averaged 21.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season while earning WAC Player of the Year honors as a sophomore at the University of Nevada.

Wwwpassthison Basketball Betting News

<< Brewers P Gallardo put on DL, will miss All-Star Game
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday due to a strained left rib cage muscle. Gallardo suffered the injury during the third inning of Sunday's

<< Nashville officially brings in Kostitsyn
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators officially locked up restricted free-agent forward Sergei Kostitsyn on Tuesday. The deal is worth $550,000 for the upcoming season. Nashville acquired the embattled Kostitsyn

<< Phillies activate Happ, option him to minors
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have activated pitcher J.A. Happ from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Happ has been recovering from a strained left forearm and

<< Barca coach Guardiola set to sign extension
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona President Sandro Rosell has confirmed that he has agreed a new two-year verbal contract with coach Pep Guardiola. Guardiola, who has guided the Catalan club to back-to-back La Liga titl

<< Parma gets Bojinov from Manchester City
Parma, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City has confirmed that Bulgaria international Valeri Bojinov has joined Parma for an undisclosed transfer fee. The Serie A side claimed earlier in the week that they had agreed a deal for the

This Week in Auto Racing July 9 - 11 >>
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a busy weekend of racing, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series run under the lights at Chicagoland Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series returns to action at Iowa Speedway, and Formula One rev

Blum to have surgery >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Astros infielder Geoff Blum will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Wednesday morning. The operation is scheduled to take place at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital and will be perfor

Chicagoland kicks off the second-half of 2010 season >>
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Saturday, July 10. Race: LifeLock.com 400. Site: Chicagoland Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 7:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 267. Miles: 400.5. 2009 winner: Mark Martin. Televisio

Patrick not exactly feeling at home >>
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Friday, July 9. Race: Dollar General 300. Site: Chicagoland Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 8:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 100. Miles: 250. 2009 winner: Denny Hamlin. Television:

Truck begin nine-week stretch at Iowa >>
Newton, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date: Sunday, July 11. Race: Lucas Oil 200. Site: Iowa Speedway. Track: .875-mile oval. Start time: 2:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 175. 2009 winner: Mike Skinner. Television:

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.

El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.