Spurs, Wolves square off in Twin Cities

Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to continue their mastery of the Minnesota Timberwolves when the two Western Conference inhabitants get together tonight at the Target Center.

San Antonio has won 10 straight and 15 of the past 16 meetings with the Timberwolves, who have lost five in a row as the host in this series. Minnesota's last win over the Spurs was a 103-101 overtime triumph back on January 3, 2007 in the Twin Cities.

The Spurs have won five of their last six games overall, including Wednesday's 97-87 triumph versus the New York Knicks in the Alamo City. Manu Ginobili scored a game-high 28 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists to lead the way. Ginobili has scored in double figures 10 times and has posted 20-plus points on six different occasions in 11 games since the All-Star break, averaging 20.9 ppg in that period.

Tim Duncan added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs, who sit seventh in the conference standings. Keith Bogans donated 13 points, while George Hill registered 12 in a winning cause. Hill has started the last 23 games and is posting 16.0 ppg.

"We held them to 18 less than they usually score. I'm pretty happy with that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after beating the Knickerbockers.

San Antonio will try to push its road record of 14-15 to the .500 mark Friday.

The Timberwolves have seen better days and are playing out the string this evening. They have lost seven straight and 13 of their last 14 games, and are coming off Wednesday's 110-102 loss versus the Denver Nuggets. Nuggets forward J.R. Smith put the game away with a trio of threes late in the game.

"Those three (three-pointers) gave them the momentum. A team like that, you have to put them away. They're a great team," said Minnesota guard Ramon Sessions, who had nine points.

Corey Brewer had 21 points and Al Jefferson posted 17 and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which is 0-3 on a four-game homestand and winless in its last seven contests in the Twin Cities.

Kevin Love notched 15 points and 11 boards in defeat. Minnesota is 9-24 as the host this season.

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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.

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