Rockies try to pin ninth straight loss on reeling Padres

Baseball Betting Lines

09/04/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres try to avoid a ninth straight loss this afternoon, when they play the middle test of their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.

San Diego's slide continued in the opener of this set on Friday, as Jason Giambi and Troy Tulowitzki each hit two-run homers that lifted the Rockies to a 4-3 win.

Aaron Cook (5-8), who was activated off the disabled list to make the start, got the win after limiting the Padres to two runs on four hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings.

The Rockies, who snapped a three-game skid, now trail the Padres by 6 1/2 games in the National League West. San Diego, though, did not lose any ground to second-place San Francisco, as the Giants lost to Los Angeles on Friday and still sit three games behind the Padres.

"I think you saw [Friday] we played a good crisp game," said Padres skipper Bud Black. The intensity is there, the focus is there, our guys want to win. I don't see us pressing."

Cory Luebke (0-1) made his major league debut for San Diego and pitched five innings in taking the loss. He walked two and allowed five hits, two of which were Colorado home runs.

Heading to the hill for the Padres this evening will be righty Jon Garland, who had a three-start winning streak stopped the last time he pitched. Garland was defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies last Saturday, as he allowed three runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 3-1 setback.

Garland lost to the Rockies the last time he faced them and is 1-1 with a 3.66 ERA in three starts against them.

Colorado will counter with righty Jason Hammel, who is 9-7 with a 4.32 ERA. Hammel earned his first win since August 6 Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, holding them to a pair of runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 frames. He struck out seven and walked three in the win.

Hammel defeated the Padres back on July 10 and is 2-0 lifetime against them with a 4.84 ERA in eight games, seven of which have been starts.

Colorado has won nine of its 13 meetings with the Padres in 2010, including wins in five of the seven matchups held in San Diego.

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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.