Rockets to host Grizzlies in key conference clash

Basketball Betting Lines

03/17/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a virtual must-win situation for a pair of Western Conference teams in desperation mode tonight as the Houston Rockets host the Memphis Grizzlies at the Toyota Center.

Historically the Grizzlies haven't had a lot of success in Houston and have fallen in their last seven trips to the city, including a 104-79 blowout loss back in November. However, Lionel Hollins' club has won seven straight on the road coming into tonight's contest, a franchise record.

Currently both clubs are on the outside looking in for the Western Conference playoff picture, with Memphis standing 4 1/2 games behind Portland for the eighth and final postseason spot and Houston five games behind of the Trail Blazers.

The Grizzlies gave their slim playoff hopes a boost last night in Memphis, where O.J. Mayo paced a balanced attack with 24 points and the Grizzlies withstood a spirited effort from a depleted Chicago Bulls squad to post a 104-97 win at FedEx Forum.

Mike Conley registered 19 points and 10 assists and Zach Randolph had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have won four of their last five games. Rudy Gay added a dozen points, and Hasheem Thabeet stepped up with 10 points and nine boards to tie career highs in both categories.

"O.J. [Mayo] hit some big shots for us, and we got a lot of fast break points," Gay said.

The Rockets also took a step in the right direction in their last outing, a thrilling 125-123 win over Denver on Monday. Aaron Brooks scored 31 points and drained the game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left to lift Houston in that one .

Kevin Martin added 29 points and Luis Scola, who had a career-high 44 points in a 116-108 win over New Jersey last Saturday, chipped in 23 to go with 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who have won three straight to tie a season-high.

"I just can't say enough about our team. They battled the whole night," said Houston coach Rick Adelman.

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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.

NFL Football Office Pools : NFL Football Contests

NFL Football Office Pool Printable Schedules

Welcome to our free football office pool page. Run your own NFL Football Office Pool. Create your own pool, invite your friends to join. Compete with your with co-workers, friends or family for bragging rights every week. Exchange some hard hits without risk of injury -- Trash Talk with your fellow co-workers.

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To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.