Three top-four seeds tumble in Estoril

Tennis Betting Lines

05/07/2009 - Estoril, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning champion Maria Kirilenko, third-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea and fourth-seeded German Sabine Lisicki were a trio of quarterfinal upset victims Thursday at the $220,000 Estoril Open.

Hot sixth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova upended her second-seeded countrywoman Kirilenko 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 on the red clay at National Stadium. Kirilenko defeated Czech Iveta Benesova in last year's finale here.

Makarova reached, and lost, her first-ever WTA Tour final last week in Morocco.

The upsets continued when Belgian Yanina Wickmayer drove out Cirstea 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and eighth-seeded German Anna-Lena Groenefeld toppled her compatriot Lisicki 6-2, as the big-serving Lisicki retired due to a right shoulder strain.

Lisicki corralled her first career title in Charleston last month.

The only player to avoid an upset on Day 4 was seventh-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer, who needed all three sets to stave off Slovakian Jarmila Groth 6-2, 0-6, 6-3.

Friday's semifinals will pit Makarova against Groenefeld and Peer versus Wickmayer.

The 2009 Estoril champ will collect $37,000.

Mindgaming Tennis Betting News

<< Big 12 elects to keep tiebreaker
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Big 12 conference decided Wednesday to keep a three-way tiebreaker system that drew tons of controversy last season when Oklahoma was given the South title over Texas and earned the right to play in the con

<< Retired Favre reportedly meeting with Vikings
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The never-ending saga of Brett Favre is reportedly taking its first steps with Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress meeting with the future Hall of Fame quarterback over a decision to come ou

<< Dodgers dominate Nationals to set home record
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manny Ramirez and James Loney each knocked in a pair during Los Angeles' seven-run sixth inning, as the Dodgers pounded the Washington Nationals, 10-3, to set a modern-day Major League record for consecu

<< Hill leads Blue Jays in rout of Angels
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Hill went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs batted in and two runs scored, as the Toronto Blue Jays blasted the Los Angeles Angels, 13-1, in the opener of a two-game series at Angel Stadium. Vernon

<< Patriots third-round pick McKenzie out for season
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots rookie linebacker Tyrone McKenzie will reportedly miss the 2009 season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the team's minicamp. According to the Boston Globe, the So

Slumping Marlins to wrap up short set with Braves >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Venezuelan right-hander Anibal Sanchez will try to snap a three-start skid today, when the Florida Marlins host the Atlanta Braves in the second and final game of a brief midweek series at Dolphin Stadium. A 25-year-old ve

Ohlendorf tries to extend streak in Bucs' tilt with Cards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The beginning of Ross Ohlendorf's 2009 season didn't go so well, but now he has a chance to extend his personal winning streak to four starts when he leads the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday in the finale of a two- game series a

Cavs resume playoff series vs. Hawks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to remain perfect in their quest for an NBA title tonight when they resume their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Atlanta Hawks. The Cavs improved to 5-0 during the p

Reds, Brewers conclude quick set in Cincy >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Slugging right-handed pitcher Micah Owings tries for a fifth time to get something accomplished with his arm, as he leads the Cincinnati Reds tonight in the finale of a two-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers

Canucks try to increase series lead in Game 4 at Chicago >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to take a three games to one lead in the Western Conference semifinals tonight when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks for Game 4 at United Center. The fourth-seeded Blackhawks were able to ea

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.