Boilermakers hope to keep pace in Big Ten title race

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/26/2009 - Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers continue their push toward the Big Ten Conference regular-season title, and they need to beat the Michigan Wolverines on the road this evening.

Purdue is hot on the heels of the Michigan State Spartans, and the team is an impressive 21-6 overall. The Boilermakers have recorded four consecutive victories to move to 10-4 in Big Ten action, and the most recent triumph came over Indiana on Saturday by an 81-67 final. They beat Michigan State by 18 points last week, and it can be argued that no team in the conference is better than Matt Painter's group right now.

As for Michigan, it owns a 17-11 overall record, and the club hopes to even its 7-8 league mark this evening. The team is 13-3 at home, an obvious reason for confidence. The Wolverines carried a modest two-game win streak into Sunday's road clash with Iowa, and the result was a heartbreaking 70-60 overtime defeat.

Purdue crushed Michigan by a 67-49 final on January 31st, and the Boilermakers own an 80-60 series advantage over the Wolverines.

Looking at the victory over Indiana, Purdue shot 57.1 percent shooting from the floor, including 7-of-13 from three-point range. The Boilermakers also earned an 18-6 edge in points from the foul line, although their 54.5 percent accuracy from the charity stripe wasn't exactly impressive. E'Twaun Moore was outstanding in the triumph, as he posted 26 points on the strength of a 5-of-6 effort from behind the arc. JaJuan Johnson pitched in 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Boilermakers, and he is averaging 13.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg this season to go along with 64 blocked shots. Moore tops the roster with 14.0 ppg, and Robbie Hummel provides 11.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Purdue is limiting its opponents to 58.0 ppg on 37.6 percent shooting from the field, as strong defense is clearly the key to the team's success.

Manny Harris is the leading scorer for Michigan this season, as the versatile guard is generating 16.9 ppg to go along with 120 assists and 7.1 rpg. DeShawn Sims is the other half of the club's standout duo, as the forward provides 14.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. The Wolverines are netting 67.3 ppg overall while limiting foes to 63.4 ppg on 43.4 percent field goal efficiency. In the disappointing loss to Iowa last time out, Michigan shot a dreadful 1-of-10 from the field in overtime. The Wolverines connected on only 32.3 percent of their field goal attempts overall, and they were outscored and outrebounded in the tilt. Stu Douglass led the way in the setback with 14 points, while Sims added 13 points. Harris was 3-of-13 from the floor and tallied nine points.

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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)		 5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.

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.