Felton, Bobcats hold off Hornets

Basketball Betting Lines

11/07/2008 - Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Raymond Felton had 20 points, including two huge free throws late in the game, to help the Bobcats edge the Hornets, 92-89, in a thriller from Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Jason Richardson also had 20 points for the Bobcats, who snapped a two-game skid. Emeka Okafor had 10 points to match his 10 rebounds. D.J. Augustin had 11 points off the bench.

Chris Paul had 20 points, 10 assists and six steals for the Hornets, who have let two in a row slip away. Peja Stojakovic also had 20 points and seven rebounds, while David West and James Posey gave 11 points each.

Four points from Paul, three from Posey and a layup by Rasual Butler gave the Hornets the lead, 73-68, with about eight minutes left in regulation.

Moments later, two free throws from Augustin and a jumper from Matt Carroll made it a one-point game, 76-75, with 6:01 showing on the clock.

West interjected with a jumper, but 10 straight points from Charlotte gave the Bobcats an 85-78 lead. Augustin started it off with a bucket and closed it out with a three-pointer with 2:52 showing on the clock.

"We got to the free throw line and we made shots," Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. "We got 30 points off turnovers against a good defensive team. It was a great win for us."

Paul answered with a jumper, Stojakovic drained a three before Gerald Wallace made two free throws for Charlotte. Butler then hit from behind the arc to bring the Hornets within 87-86 with under a minute left to play.

Richardson then went 1-of-2 from the line, before a bad pass from Paul led to two more from the line by Richardson, making it 90-86 with 16.9 ticks left.

The Hornets called a timeout and Stojakovic nailed a three-pointer 2.3 seconds later, and New Orleans was within one point.

Paul was then forced to foul Felton on the ensuing possession, and he hit both shots to give Charlotte a 92-89 edge.

The Hornets had one last shot to tie it up, but Stojakovic missed. Posey, though, grabbed the rebound and dished it to Paul, whose three-pointer caromed off the back of the iron to end the contest.

"The good thing is it's early in the season, we can find different ways to counter that," Paul said. "Other guys are going to have to attack to keep teams honest."

The Hornets had a 28-26 lead after the first quarter, but Charlotte took a 47-35 lead at the break.

Down by 14 midway through the third, five points from Morris Peterson and a three-pointer from Stojakovic brought the visitors within 57-51 with 5:55 left in the stanza.

The teams battled, and Charlotte cut it to within five points, 66-61, heading into the final 12 minutes.

Game Notes

The Bobcats allowed just seven points in the second quarter, which is a franchise low...Charlotte went 29-of-31 (94 percent) from the line, against 14-of-19 (74 percent) for New Orleans...On the injury front for the Hornets, forward Melvin Ely (dental) did not dress...New Orleans won both meetings with the Bobcats a year ago and had won six of the last seven matchups in this series. The Hornets also had won two of their last three trips to Charlotte coming in.

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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.

Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.

Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.