Improved Wolves entertain Pacers

Basketball Betting Lines

02/01/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers target their third straight win tonight, when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.

Indiana has won two in a row and five of its last seven games, including Tuesday's 106-99 triumph over the New Jersey Nets. Paul George nailed four three-pointers en route to a career-high 24 points, while Roy Hibbert added a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Danny Granger and shot 52.1 percent for the game.

"Paul George really carried us through some offensive stretches. He's a heck of a weapon at both ends," Indiana head coach Frank Vogel said.

Pacers guard George Hill exited the game with 1:35 left in the third quarter after he came down awkwardly on his left ankle following a jump shot.

According to Indiana's Twitter account, Hill has a small chip fracture in his left ankle and is out indefinitely.

The Pacers are 8-5 as the visitor this season.

Minnesota has won three of four games and will try to get to the .500 mark tonight.

In a 120-108 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday, Michael Beasley scored 34 points to help the Wolves set a franchise record with 42 points in the third quarter. Kevin Love added 29 points and was kept from another double-double, grabbing just seven rebounds. Rookie Ricky Rubio ended with 18 points and 11 assists.

"(Rubio) really got us going and was making all the right plays. He made plays, hit his shots and got us in up-tempo where we can be the best," Love said.

On the injury front for Minnesota, center Darko Milicic is doubtful for tonight with flu-like symptoms. The Wolves are 5-7 as the host this season.

Minnesota and Indiana are playing the first of two meetings this season and will square off again April 16 in Indy. The two teams split a home-and-home set a year ago, with each team prevailing as the host. The Pacers have lost five of six trips to the Twin Cities.

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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.