Cubs grab early lead, top Pirates
Baseball Betting Lines
07/01/2009 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Derrek Lee belted a two-run home run and Randy Wells tossed seven innings of one-run ball to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set at PNC Park.
Wells (3-3) gave up six hits and fanned four batters to collect his third straight victory. Kevin Gregg retired the side in the ninth to pick up his 14th save of the year.
Kosuke Fukudome hit a solo homer and doubled for the Cubs, who had lost seven of nine coming into the tilt. Geovany Soto went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI single.
Virgil Vasquez (1-1) went six frames, allowing three runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts to take the loss. Vasquez got his first major- league victory against the Royals last Friday. He allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts in that game.
Brandon Moss knocked in the lone run for the Pirates with a single. Andrew McCutchen and Jason Jaramillo each had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has won five of its last eight games despite the loss.
The Cubs used a two-run homer from Lee in the top of the first inning to take the early edge. Sam Fuld started things with his first-career MLB hit -- a double to right. Fuld crossed the plate two batters later when Lee drove a Vasquez offering over the wall in center.
Pittsburgh plated a run in the bottom half of the frame. McCutchen doubled and Adam LaRoche walked to put runners on the corners with two outs. Moss then knocked in McCutchen with a single to center.
Chicago put men on first and third with one out in the top of the fifth, but Lee grounded into a double play. In the home half of the inning, Jack Wilson was thrown out at the plate after Freddy Sanchez singled to left.
Fukudome smacked a two-out, home run over the wall in right field in the sixth to extend the Cubs' margin to 3-1.
Soto added an RBI single in the eighth.
Carlos Marmol and Gregg tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, to secure the victory.
Game Notes
The Cubs finished a 10-game road trip with a 3-7 mark...Chicago manager Lou Piniella was ejected by first base umpire Chad Fairchild in the sixth inning for arguing a call at first base...The Cubs start an 11-game homestand with a four-game series versus the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday...Pittsburgh hosts a make-up game against the New York Mets on Thursday before beginning a nine- game road swing.
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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.