Nets and Raptors clash at The Rock

Basketball Betting Lines

01/29/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlantic Division rivals meet in North Jersey Sunday when the Nets welcome Toronto to The Rock.

New Jersey has been on an uptick recently, winning three of their past four games. Deron Williams recorded a double-double with 27 points and 10 assists on Friday in Cleveland as the Nets held off the Cavaliers 99-96 at Quicken Loans Arena for their latest victory.

Kris Humphries, who left Friday's shootaround with an illness, fought through it, scoring 18 points and pulling down 11 boards. Anthony Morrow added 22 points and six rebounds.

"The guys played hard and came out with a lot of focus early in the game. I think we set the tone for this game in the first quarter," said New Jersey head coach Avery Johnson.

Rookie MarShon Brooks (Achilles) missed his third straight game for the Nets, while teammate Mehmet Okur (back) also missed the contest. Both players have been listed as questionable for tonight's affair although it's a long shot either plays.

Williams has been the barometer for any New Jersey success. When the two-time All-Star, who is averaging 22.3 points and 9.5 assists over his last six games, scores 24-plus the Nets are 5-0 and when he scores under that number the team is a dismal 2-12.

The Raptors, who are finishing a five-game road trip tonight, had a small two- game run halted in Denver on Friday when the Nuggets ran away for a 96-81 triumph.

Leandro Barbosa paced the Raptors in the Rockies with 19 points, while Jerryd Bayless had 18 and James Johnson donated 16 points. Aaron Gray had a big night on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost nine of their last 11 overall and are 2-2 on their trek.

Toronto played Denver without star power forward Andrea Bargnani, who will be out indefinitely after aggravating a calf strain in a double-overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

"You have to believe you can win right from the jump ball," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. "That's the challenge I issued our guys after the game tonight. I didn't see the belief in their eyes."

New Jersey has taken three of its last four against the Raptors, including a 97-85 win north of the border on Jan. 6.

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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.