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02/17/2007 - Signed guard Marta Fernandez.

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<< Illini's Jamar Smith out for season; Carlwell out of hospital
Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Illinois head coach Bruce Weber announced Friday sophomore center Jamar Smith will miss the remainder of the season after being involved in a traffic accident Monday night. Freshman center Brian Car

<< Several MLB rules changed for 2007
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball announced a number of changes for in-game rules, starting this season. This marks the first time that the rules have been changed since 1996, when the strike zone was redefined.

<< Eger atop crowded leaderboard in Florida
Lutz, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Eger opened with a four-under-par 67 Friday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Tom Wargo, whose last tour win came in 2000, is alone in second place

<< Bears hit Briggs with franchise tag
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears designated linebacker Lance Briggs as their franchise player on Friday. The designation means that Briggs will be guaranteed a one-year contract for an average of the five highest

<< Almirola surprise winner of Busch pole
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In 2006 Aric Almirola won a pole as a substitute for Denny Hamlin. Hamlin drove the car in the race to a second- place finish. This time the 22-year-old Almirola will get to drive the car from t

Yow-zer: NC State downs No. 2 UNC >>
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - On the day that NC State named its basketball court after women's head coach Kay Yow, the Wolfpack rewarded their long-time leader with a 72-65 upset win of second-ranked North Carolina at Reynolds Coliseu

Harrington, Mickelson share lead at Riviera >>
Pacific Palisades, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Padraig Harrington carded a three- under 68 Friday and Phil Mickelson posted a six-under 65 to share the lead near the end of the second round at the Nissan Open. Harrington and Mickelson sta

Ruutu leads Penguins over Devils >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jarkko Ruutu scored a pair of goals to guide the Pittsburgh Penguins past the New Jersey Devils, 5-4, at Continental Airlines Arena. Sidney Crosby added a goal and an assist while Marc-Andre Fleury c

Norrena, Blue Jackets blank Sharks >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Fredrik Norrena blocked all 29 shots faced for his third shutout, as the Columbus Blue Jackets blanked the San Jose Sharks, 3-0, at Nationwide Arena. Fredrik Modin, Gilbert Brule and Sergei Fedorov

Sprague wins truck opener at Daytona >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jack Sprague captured the first Craftsman Truck Series event of 2007. The No.60 Toyota crossed the finish line just a few feet ahead of Johnny Benson. The victory was Sprague's first of the season an

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.

Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.