Cream Stays Near The Top

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/17/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Five different teams have graced college basketball's number one slot since Christmas, an incredible figure considering that there have been just eight polls released over that span of time.

If uncertainty at the top spot has been the norm, the predictability of the top five has rarely been questioned. From December 29 through February 16, only eight teams have had the honor of filling out those key positions.

Two of the four clubs - Connecticut and North Carolina - have not budged from the top five for a single week. Pittsburgh has been there seven of the eight weeks while the Oklahoma Sooners, who were ranked fourth the Monday after Christmas, are second in the poll.

The top four currently features those same clubs, an interesting twist since that quartet was ranked in the top four back on December 15.

I bring this up for one important reason. It has become very fashionable of late to look for a long shot with a realistic chance of winning the NCAA Tournament, such as Villanova, Butler, or even Missouri. Teams such as these could very well reach the Elite Eight and maybe even the Final Four, but it's unlikely any one of them will make it to the championship game.

Favorites were all the rage the last two seasons, and for good reason, as a pair of number ones (Kansas and Florida) came out on top. Not only that, all four number one seeds reached the final four last year, while 2007 saw two top-seeds and a pair of two's reach that plateau. Over the last five years, only one team (Florida in 2006) has won the tournament seeded worse than number two.

Despite chalk reigning supreme, it's still way too early to place any championship game bets. I know it's hard to resist but this time of the year should be spent on studying the strengths and weaknesses of the top teams instead of making future wagers. Try to watch as many games as possible from all different conferences and rank the favorites in order from one to eight. Don't forget to update any and all rankings on a week-to-week basis.

Most teams still have plenty of regular season games left, as well as conference tournaments, and lately, those postseason games have had extra importance. Eight of the last 10 NCAA finalists have won their league title, including all six championship game participants the last three years. Quite a contrast from the previous two seasons, when none of the four finalists had won their conference postseason title.

TEAMS TO STICK WITH

With such a large field, it's best not to get too caught up with odds, especially this early, since so many clubs will offer some type of value. In addition, many gamblers might think they'll be able to pick up higher payouts by placing their wagers earlier rather than later. It's true the odds may be juicier in February as opposed to March, but that's not always the case.

A perfect example came just last season when Kansas was 11-2 to win it all just 10 days prior to Selection Sunday. I'm sure those who wagered on the Jayhawks at that time were a tad annoyed when the odds jumped up to 5-1 immediately after the brackets were announced.

Since North Carolina, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Pittsburgh have been the best of the bunch the last couple of months, it's not surprising they are the top four favorites at this stage of the season.

The Tar Heels are the heavy choice at 5-2 with a huge gap before the Huskies' place on the list at 5-1. The 15-2 Sooners hold the third spot, while the Panthers are the only other club in single digits, at 8-1.

Recent history suggests that one of those four teams will be crowned champion on the first Monday in April, so the best advice I can give is to hold off as long as possible to secure the highest odds on the club you wish to back.

Wgo2net NCAA Basketball Betting News

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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.