Braves' McCann back in lineup vs. Nationals

Baseball Betting Lines

04/21/2009 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann returned to the starting lineup Tuesday against the Washington Nationals after missing two games with blurred vision in his left eye.

McCann, who is hitting .200 this year with two homers and seven RBI, went to an eye doctor in Washington on Tuesday and was fitted for a contact lens that appears to have corrected the problem.

The backstop sat out Sunday and Monday's bouts after going hitless in his previous five games.

Wwwpga Baseball Betting News

<< This Week in Auto Racing April 24 - 26
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It should be an exciting and wild weekend of racing as the Sprint Cup Series heads to the 2.66-mile, high-banked Talladega Superspeedway. The Nationwide Series will also be at Talladega, while t

<< Rockies place P Speier on DL, recall P Morales
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies placed right-handed pitcher Ryan Speier on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring ,retroactive to April 19, on Tuesday. Additionally, the club recalled left- handed pitcher

<< Wild G Backstrom to undergo hip surgery
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom will undergo left hip surgery, the team announced Tuesday. The surgery, which will take place Friday, will fix two cysts Backstrom has on his hip. Wild

<< Delaware Park going strong
Stanton, DE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In this era of year-round racing, opening day at a seasonal racetrack is similar to opening day in baseball. The sky is bluer and the flowers smell especially fragrant. Delaware Park opens for its 72n

<< Baldelli put on DL
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox placed outfielder Rocco Baldelli on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with a mild left hamstring strain. Baldelli suffered the injury in the third inning of Boston's 12-1 victory o

Red Sox-Twins game postponed; doubleheader set for Wednesday >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins' scheduled Tuesday opener of a two-game series from Fenway Park has been postponed due to rain. Tuesday's tilt has been rescheduled for Wednesday at

Earnhardt Jr., Mears placed on probation for Phoenix incident >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR has placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears on probation for the next six Sprint Cup Series races for intentionally bumping each other after the conclusion of last Saturday's race at Phoe

Osgood backs Detroit to commanding series lead >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Osgood was terrific between the pipes again, making 31 saves, and Henrik Zetterberg scored twice, as Detroit defeated the Blue Jackets, 4-1, to grab a commanding lead in their Western Confere

Fleury stymies Flyers; Pens grab 3-1 series lead >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marc-Andre Fleury had an outstanding game with 45 saves, as the Pittsburgh Penguins took a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Wachovia Center. Sidney

Sanchez helps Pirates sneak past Marlins >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and Jeff Karstens pitched a solid six innings, as the Pittsburgh Pirates held on to edge the Florida Marlins, 3-2, in the second of a three-game series at PNC

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.