Stars return home to face Williams and Kings

Hockey Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars haven't done much to further their playoff chances since the Olympic break, but an upcoming six-game homestand for a team that has been strong this year as the host could do the trick.

Dallas begins that residency tonight at American Airlines Center looking for its first win of the season over the Los Angeles Kings, who will have forward Justin Williams back in the lineup when they seek a fifth straight victory over the Stars.

Having dropped four of five since the break, the Stars find themselves seven points back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 16 games to go. Dallas went 1-2-0 on a recent three-game road trip, which included a big shootout win over Washington on Monday before Wednesday's disappointing 5-3 setback to Buffalo.

The teams combined for six goals in the first period on Wednesday, with the Stars netting three of those tallies. Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist in the frame, while Toby Peterson and Steve Ott also scored. However, the Sabres got the only goal of the second period and then capped the scoring with an empty-net goal in the third.

Dallas fell to 11-17-7 on the road this year as compared to 18-8-5 at home, where the club has won seven of its last 10.

"Things are going to be extremely tough. It's 12 points, and those are huge. It's our season," Ott said of Dallas' upcoming six-game homestand. "If we don't get the ship in the right direction here on our homestand, we may as well call the season."

Marty Turco made 38 saves and Brad Richards had an assist to give him a goal and five assists over a five-game point streak as well as three goals and 10 helpers over his last 11 contests.

Richards has four assists in four games versus the Kings this year while James Neal has three goals in the four meetings. However, the Stars are 0-2-2 versus the Kings this season and they have also lost six of seven and eight of the last 10 meetings.

Los Angeles has also won three straight and five of its last six at Dallas.

The Kings come into this one having lost three of four, but they did earn a point last time out with a 3-2 overtime setback to the Blackhawks. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored less than two minutes apart in the second period, but a turnover by Brad Richardson in overtime set up the Blackhawks' winning goal.

Jonathan Quick made 40 saves for Los Angeles, which is fifth overall in the West, two points back of Phoenix. However, Quick left the team on Thursday after his wife went into labor with the couple's first child and will miss tonight's game. Either backup Erik Ersberg or the recently recalled Jonathan Bernier will start tonight.

Los Angeles will also get Williams back into the lineup much earlier than expected. The 28-year-old has been out since suffering a broken leg on December 26 that was expected to sideline him for up to three months. Williams has eight goals and 16 assists in 33 games and will go right back onto the first line.

"He's going to go right back with [Ryan] Smyth and Kopitar tomorrow, and get him right into the heat of the battle," Kings head coach Terry Murray told his team's Web site on Thursday. "Take advantage of a fresh player. It will be like adding a new guy through a deal, really."

Kopitar has been red-hot as of late, as he has five goals and four assists over a career high-tying eight-game point streak. The forward also has 14 goals and 14 helpers over his last 22 games and six goals in four contests versus the Stars this year.

Alexander Frolov has added a pair of goals and four helpers in the season series. He scored and set up two other goals in a 5-1 victory at Dallas when the clubs last met on March 2.

Mindgaming Hockey Betting News

<< Bucks, Jazz to square off in battle of surging clubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the NBA's hottest teams clash in Brew City tonight as the Utah Jazz pay a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Jazz won their fourth straight contest and improved to 2-0 on a four-game road trip Wednesday in Auburn Hil

<< Sliding Ducks host Predators
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks aim for their first win in nearly a month tonight when they host a Nashville Predators club that is struggling to hold onto one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Ducks have dropped

<< Bobcats continue push towards postseason, host Clippers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats aim to maintain their recent winning ways and further solidify their postseason hopes in tonight's clash with a Los Angeles Clippers team that'll be seeking to end a five-game slide when it pays a visit

<< Celtics try to stop skid in home tilt with Pacers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics will be attempting to avoid a third straight loss when the Atlantic Division leaders host the road-challenged Indiana Pacers tonight at TD Garden. Boston followed up a two-point setback at red

<< Rangers and Thrashers both try to end slides in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of four-game losing streaks have made a possible road to the postseason a bit harder for the Rangers and Thrashers. Only one team will be able to reverse its misfortunes tonight. Atlanta will try to sweep the season

Lakers visit Phoenix for key Pacific showdown >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The two top teams in the Pacific Division meet for the last time in the regular season tonight, when the second-place Phoenix Suns welcome the front-running Los Angeles Lakers to the U.S. Airways Center. The defending NBA

Pistons resume homestand with visit from Wizards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Eastern Conference also-rans continue playing out the string tonight in Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons play host to the Washington Wizards. The Pistons fell to 1-1 on a three-game homestand Wednesday, wh

Bulls, Heat set to battle in Miami >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of teams battling for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference square off tonight at Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena, where the surging Heat continue an important homestand by taking on the slumping Chicago Bulls.

Blazers try to enhance playoff chances in clash with Kings >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers hope to improve their playoff chances tonight by earning a sixth straight win over the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings. The Blazers, who currently lead Memphis by four games for the eighth and fin

Fire sign former Fulham striker John >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Fire Soccer signed 24-year-old Dutch forward Collins John, the Major League Soccer club announced on Friday. "We are very excited to have Collins join the Chicago Fire," Fire Technical Direc

Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year

Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.

Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.

With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.

Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.

Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.

Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

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

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.