Struggling Sixers invade Space City to take on Rockets

Basketball Betting Lines

02/22/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers should consider themselves lucky to still have a sizable lead atop the Atlantic Division standings since they're currently mired in a season-high four-game losing streak.

The Sixers look to end their woes tonight against the Houston Rockets in the continuation of a four-game road trip at the Toyota Center. In Tuesday's 89-76 loss at Memphis, the Sixers struggled inside without Elton Brand (thumb) and Spencer Hawes (Achilles) and were led by Jrue Holiday's 22 points.

"Mistakes at the wrong time, defensive mistakes, turnovers," stated Sixers coach Doug Collins. "We're just struggling mightily to try and score."

Rookie Lavoy Allen scored 14 points and All-Star Andre Iguodala chipped in 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Philadelphia, which is on its longest losing streak since dropping five in a row from Nov. 10-17, 2010 and hasn't scored 100 points in any of the past 16 games.

Losers in six of eight games overall and three in a row on the road, Philadelphia is 7-7 away from Wells Fargo Center and sits four games ahead of New York and Boston in the division standings. The team will wrap up the road trip next Tuesday at Detroit. Brand and Hawes are expected to miss tonight's game in Space City.

Houston will continue a six-game homestand Wednesday and is 3-1 so far on the residency. It won for the sixth time in nine tries with Monday's 97-93 victory over Memphis, as oft-injured guard Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 24 points with nine assists and seven rebounds.

"My legs feel better, and it's the best I've felt in awhile," said Lowry about his performance. "We just have to continue with one more game and then we have the break and that will be the time to recuperate."

Kevin Martin netted 22 points and Luis Scola chipped in 10 for the Rockets, who improved to 13-4 at the Toyota Center this season.

The Rockets will close out the homestand next Tuesday versus Toronto and are four games behind San Antonio for the Southwest Division lead. Dallas is second in the standings at two games off the Spurs' pace.

Houston was swept in last year's home-and-home series with the Sixers and has dropped seven of the past eight meetings between the teams. Philadelphia is riding a four-game winning streak in Space City.

Gamblung Basketball Betting News

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<< Howard, Magic visit Deron and the Nets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic will try to continue their mastery of the New Jersey Nets when the two clubs clash tonight from the Prudential Center. Orlando has won eight in a row and 12 of the past 13 matchups between the teams, and

<< Blues try to extend home streak vs. struggling Bruins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After closing out 2011 as the hottest team in the league, the new calendar year hasn't been as kind to the Bruins. The Blues have yet to drop a regulation game at home in 2012. St. Louis puts its franchise record 21-game

<< Lin, Knicks aim to bounce back vs. Hawks
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sudden New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin was brought back to reality when New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams took him to school in a recent contest at Madison Square Garden. Arguably one of the fanciest point guards

<< Cavs resume lengthy homestand vs. Hornets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will resume a team-record nine-game homestand tonight versus the New Orleans Hornets at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland is 4-3 on the residency and is coming off last night's 101-100 win over the Cen

Avs shoot for season sweep of Kings >>
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Williams signs new deal with Union >>
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Union announced on Wednesday that the club has signed defender Sheanon Williams to a new contract. The 21-year-old joined the club from Harrisburg City Islanders in August 2010 and has gone

Aggies seek upset of fourth-ranked Jayhawks >>
College Station, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In one of the more lopsided series in the Big 12 Conference, the fourth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks will try to continue their dominance over the Texas A&M Aggies when the two square off tonight at Reed Are

Boise State heads to Sin City to challenge 21st-ranked UNLV >>
Las Vegas, LV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Losers of two straight and three of the last four outings, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels find themselves now ranked 21st in the country as they await the arrival of the Boise State Broncos for a Mountain West Conferen

Mountaineers pay visit to 20th-ranked Fighting Irish >>
South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matching their longest win streak in Big East Conference play ever, the 20th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish try to extend their run of good fortune tonight as they host the West Virginia Mountaineers at the J

MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

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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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