Cards hope to right ship in Steel City

Baseball Betting Lines

08/23/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have fallen out of first place in the National League's Central Division due to their inconsistent play as of late. A few games against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates may help get them back in a groove.

St. Louis will attempt to maintain its recent mastery of the Pirates, owners of the worst record in baseball, when the two divisional foes start up a three-game series tonight at PNC Park.

The Cardinals had held a one-game edge on Cincinnati for the top spot in the NL Central before losing a season-worst five straight contests from August 14-20. That slide put the defending division champions 4 1/2 games behind the Reds in the standings, but they've since been able to gain a game back after posting back-to-back wins over San Francisco over the weekend.

St. Louis received excellent starting pitching in both of those victories. All-Star Chris Carpenter tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 triumph over the Giants on Saturday, while Jaime Garcia followed up with the first shutout of his career to lead the Cards to a 9-0 win yesterday afternoon.

Garcia (11-6) yielded just three hits and walked none while facing just one batter over the minimum in a masterful performance. The rookie, who struck out six and threw only 89 pitches, had set down 13 straight batters before giving up a two-out single to Nate Schierholtz in the ninth.

"I was just trying to go one pitch at a time and not worry about anything else but that," said Garcia afterward.

St. Louis also supplied plenty of offense in the rout. Allen Craig socked a two-run homer and finished with two hits and three RBI, while Jon Jay went 3- for-4 with a run-scoring single to pace the Cardinals' 15-hit attack.

The Cardinals hope to carry the momentum from this weekend's outcome into a 10-game road trip that also includes stops in Washington and Houston. The team is just 26-31 as the visitor this season, but has won three straight and four of its last five away from home.

St. Louis has had its share of success in the Steel City over the past few years. Tony La Russa's squad has gone 8-4 at PNC Park since the start of the 2009 campaign and took two of three from the Pirates in Pittsburgh back in May. They've also prevailed in 11 of the last 13 overall meetings between the clubs, including five of six bouts so far this year.

And to say the Pirates have been struggling lately is an understatement. Pittsburgh scored less than three runs for the 10th time in its last 11 outings in Sunday's matchup with the New York Mets, although the NL Central basement-dwellers were able to stop a five-game slide by coming through with a 2-1 win.

Bucs starter Zach Duke (6-12) held New York to one run on five hits over the first seven innings, with relievers Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan protecting the one-run advantage over the final two frames. The Pirates mustered only four hits on the day, but two of them were solo homers by Lastings Milledge and Jose Tabata off Mets ace Johan Santana.

"I'm proud of the way we battled to beat one of the best pitchers in the game," said Pittsburgh manager John Russell.

Pittsburgh was able to give Duke just enough support on Sunday, something it's had a lot trouble providing Ross Ohlendorf all throughout this season. The right-hander enters tonight's assignment with a brutal 1-10 record despite a respectable 3.90 earned run average, and he's turned in three straight quality starts with nothing but frustration to show for those efforts.

Ohlendorf worked a season-high eight innings and allowed just four hits against Florida this past Wednesday, but came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 decision. He fired 6 2/3 shutout frames in his previous start, an August 13 clash at Houston, but wound up with a no-decision after the Pittsburgh bullpen blew a late lead. That scenario also took place in an August 7 tilt against Colorado in which Ohlendorf permitted two runs -- one earned -- and four hits through six innings.

The Princeton product, who has posted a 2.35 ERA since June 27, has yet to face the Cardinals this season and is 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA in four lifetime starts against St. Louis.

Pittsburgh will try to get its slumping offense untracked in a matchup with Cards hurler Kyle Lohse. The right-hander was hammered in his first start back from a near three-month stay on the disabled list in an August 15 game against Chicago, with the Cubs pounding him for seven runs and six hits -- including two homers -- in just three innings of work.

Lohse, who had been sidelined since May 22 with a forearm problem which required surgery, is just 1-5 with a bloated 6.79 ERA in 10 starts this season and has surrendered five or more runs in four of his last five trips to the mound.

On the flip side, the 31-year-old sports a 4-0 record and an excellent 2.14 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) against Pittsburgh and won his only encounter with the Bucs last season, permitting three runs (two earned) over seven effective innings in his 2009 debut.

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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.

Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.