07/04/2008 - Daytona Beach, FL (Autoracing Betting) - Paul Menard became a first-time pole winner in the Sprint Cup Series, taking the top spot for Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. The No.15 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver turned in a lap at the high-banked 2.5-mile superspeedway of 48.409 seconds (185.916 m.p.h.).
Menard's first career pole victory came in his 57th start. His previous best start was in June at Dover where he started 13th.
"Everyone back at the shop does such an awesome job, said Menard. "It ran good at Talladega in the race...it all comes down to guys that work on it."
Menard becomes the second first-time pole winner in a row. Patrick Carpentier won last week's pole at New Hampshire.
Starting alongside Menard on the front row will be his DEI teammate Mark Martin who posted a time of 48.421 seconds. Earlier in the day, Martin announced he'll drive the No.5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports full-time beginning next year.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (48.534) and Joe Nemechek (48.573) will make up row two.
Other drivers of note and their starting positions: points leader Kyle Busch (ninth), Matt Kenseth (19th), Jeff Burton (23rd), Jeff Gordon (26th), Jimmie Johnson (30th), Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman (32nd) and Kasey Kahne (41st).
Despite a 17th-place starting position on the grid, Tony Stewart should be a factor in the race. Smoke" has been known for his hot streaks during the summer months. During his second championship season in 2005, all five of his victories for the year came in a seven-race stretch from June to August. Last season, he picked up back-to-back wins at Chicagoland and Indianapolis in July before his most recent victory at Watkins Glen.
Stewart won this race (formerly the Pepsi 400) in 2005 and 2006. He was running up front with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin in the early stages of last year's race, but his chances of a three-peat quickly came to an end when he ran into the back of Hamlin. Hamlin spun back into Stewart, taking both drivers out. Stewart and Hamlin finished 38th and 43rd, respectively.
Boris Said will be in this year's show after rain cancelled qualifying and ended his pole-winning run last year. A fan favorite, Said qualified seventh quickest on Friday.
Defending race champion Jamie McMurray will start 40th. McMurray picked up his second career Cup victory last year at Daytona. He edged Busch to the finish line by only 0.005 seconds in what was one of the closest finishes since NASCAR started using electronic timing and scoring in 1993. McMurray has been winless since Daytona.
The green flag is scheduled to drop on Saturday around 8 p.m. (et).
<< Bayern Munich banking on Podolski
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determined to bring out the best in Germany forward Lukas Podolski next season.
The 23-year-old impressed for his country at Euro 2008, having struggled to
m
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Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona ace Lionel Messi would like to
try his luck in Italy's Serie A in the future, as talk of a summer exit from
the Camp Nou continues to rumble on.
The 21-year-old Argentina forward has bee
<< Arroyo Oh Boy-O! Reds swat Nats
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bronson Arroyo earned his second
consecutive win as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 in
the second game of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Arroyo (6-7) pitche
<< Fire searching for spark against Crew
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Fire coach Denis Hamlett admitted after
last week's 0-0 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes that his strikers "need to
finish."
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Chivas hopes for better performance against S.J. >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chivas USA coach Preki wasn't very pleased after
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Rockies place Helton on DL >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies placed first baseman
Todd Helton on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a strained lower back.
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Stoke-on-Trent, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Midfielder Salif Diao is determined
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Sampdoria signs defender Stankevicius >>
Genoa, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sampdoria coach Walter Mazzarri has bolstered
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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.
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
About MySportsbook.com:
MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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