Hard-charging Phils continue key series with Marlins

Baseball Betting Lines

09/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have been inconsistent on offense all year, and it was never more evident than during Monday's doubleheader versus the Florida Marlins. That still didn't stop the club from pulling within a half-game of first place in the National League East.

The Phillies will try to grab sole possession of first place for the first time since late May as Joe Blanton aims to extend an eight-start unbeaten streak in tonight's third contest of a four-game series versus the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia entered Monday's twinbill one game back of the front-running Braves for the NL East's top spot and had the opportunity to move ahead of Atlanta after it lost to the Pirates yesterday.

However, the Phillies were out hit 13-3 in dropping the first game, 7-1, before responding with a 7-4 triumph in the nightcap.

Florida's Adalberto Mendez pitched six shutout innings in his MLB debut in the first game, though he did leave with a strained right quad suffered while running to first in the seventh. However, Philadelphia managed just Jayson Werth's RBI single off the rookie.

Marlins rookie Mike Stanton entered the series in a 3-for-45 slump, but homered in both contests and had four hits in nine at-bats. His solo homer in the second inning of the nightcap was one of three homers allowed by Phils starter Roy Oswalt, who also yielded home-run balls to Hanley Ramirez and Cameron Maybin.

Oswalt, though, still got the win thanks in part to a five-run second inning by his offense.

"The pitches I threw to Hanley and Maybin were just poor pitch selection," Oswalt admitted. "Played right into their hands,"

Chase Utley and Placido Polanco combined to drive in three runs in the second frame, and both ended with a pair of hits and two RBI in game two. Carlos Ruiz got the run started with a bases-loaded walk off Anibal Sanchez.

"The worst of it was a lot of walks, a lot of balls, a lot of being behind in the count," Sanchez said after giving up seven runs over four-plus innings. "That's not good for me."

Philadelphia has now won nine of 12 since a four-game losing streak and pulled within a half-game of Atlanta. A victory tonight coupled with another loss by the Braves would put the Phillies, who also lead the Giants by 1 1/2 games for the NL Wild Card spot, back into sole possession of first place for the first time since May 30.

If the Phillies are to do their part, they will need a better effort out of Blanton than the one he gave last time out.

The righty hasn't lost since July 21, having gone 3-0 in eight starts since, and had notched a 2.81 earned run average over his previous five starts before getting tagged for six runs -- four earned -- on 10 hits, three homers and two walks in just 4 1/3 innings versus Colorado on Thursday. However, his offense rallied for a 12-11 win to take Blanton off the hook.

The 29-year-old is 6-6 with a 5.25 ERA in 23 starts this year and has yet to face Florida in 2010. Lifetime versus the Marlins, he is 4-2 with a 3.44 ERA.

The Marlins, who had won four of five prior to Monday's doubleheader, will try to get a fourth straight win tonight out of Chris Volstad, who left his last start on Wednesday versus Washington after five innings.

Volstad allowed six runs in the 16-10 victory, but was ejected after he threw behind the Nationals' Nyjer Morgan, sparking a benches-clearing brawl. Morgan charged the mound after the pitch and connected with a left to Volstad's neck.

"Obviously, he's not coming out there to talk," Volstad said. "I had to defend myself and not to get hurt."

The 23-year-old righty, who earned his career high-tying ninth win to match his total from last year, was fined and suspended for six games but is appealing.

Volstad is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in three starts versus the Phillies this year and was beat up for six runs -- five earned -- over four innings in his last start at Philadelphia on June 8.

He'll look for some help from the offense tonight, especially from Ramirez, seeing as the shortstop is hitting .471 (24-for-51) with five homers and 14 RBI over a 14-game hitting streak.

The Phillies notched a three-game sweep in Miami the last time these clubs met and own an 8-5 edge in the season series.

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SPORTS BETTING

NFL Football Betting Online

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards

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.