Basketball Betting
 

Basketball Betting


NFL Football
NCAA Football
NCAA Basketball
MLB Baseball
NHL Hockey
Soccer
Auto
Horse Racing
Golf
Tennis
 

NBA Basketball Betting

Celtics eliminate Heat in five games

Basketball Betting Lines

04/27/2010 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ray Allen hit 5-of-6 from behind the arc and scored a team-high 24 points to help the Celtics close out their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Heat with a 96-86 Game 5 victory at TD Garden.

Boston led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter and thwarted a Miami comeback by hitting 52.9 percent from the field in the final stanza. The Celtics now await the winner of the Cavaliers-Bulls series, which could be completed on Tuesday with a Cleveland win.

Paul Pierce chipped in 21 points, Kevin Garnett added 14 and Rajon Rondo filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds for Boston, which made it to the conference semifinals last season before bowing out to the Orlando Magic.

Dwyane Wade, who scored a franchise playoff-record 46 points in Game 4 to carry Miami to its only win in the series, logged 31 points on 10-of-24 shooting to go with 10 assists and eight rebounds in possibly his final game in a Heat uniform.

Mario Chalmers scored 20 points off the bench for the Heat, while starters Quentin Richardson, Michael Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal combined to shoot 5-of-21 for a total of 13 points.

Wade, who has the right to opt-out of his contract and become a free agent on July 1, finished off a three-point play less than two minutes into the fourth quarter to get Miami within 73-70 after trailing big in the third.

Allen answered with a three-point play of his own -- aided by a goaltending violation -- and the Celtics scored six straight near the midway point to go up 88-76 on Garnett's jumper just inside the three-point line.

With 2 1/2 minutes left, Wade put in another basket while being fouled, with his free throw making it 91-83.

After Allen countered with a three, Chalmers hit one of his own from behind the arc, and following an offensive foul on Garnett, Miami had a chance to make it a two-possession game.

Wade, though, turned the ball over and Pierce rattled in a jumper for a 10- point lead with 1:18 remaining. Chalmers' missed three at the other end essentially sealed the outcome, and allowed the Celtics an early entrance into the second round.

Boston scored the final six points of the first quarter to build a 29-21 lead, which moved to a dozen, 42-30, late in the second after two Pierce free throws capped a 9-1 run with 3:55 left in the half.

The hosts went into halftime with a 48-38 advantage and quickly made it a 21- point game five minutes into the third quarter.

In a four-possession span, Garnett converted a three-point play and Allen had a trio of makes from long range. After a Miami timeout, Wade turned the ball over, and Kendrick Perkins laid one in off a behind-the-back feed from Rondo, resulting in a 67-46 game with just under seven minutes left.

That bucket, however, proved to be Boston's last field goal of the frame, as Miami's 19-4 run -- highlighted by a pair of three-point makes by Chalmers and Wade -- cut Miami's deficit to 71-65 with 12 minutes to play.

Game Notes

Wade has scored in double-figures in a franchise record 63 consecutive playoff games...The Celtics have won nine of 10 and 15 of 17 against Miami, including this set. This is the first time these two franchises had met in the postseason...Perkins, who was whistled for a technical foul midway through the second quarter, logged eight points for Boston, which shot 48.6 percent overall compared the Miami's 39.2 percent effort...Miami turned the ball over 20 times.

<< Coyotes' Doan out for Game 7
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix captain Shane Doan was not in the lineup in Tuesday's decisive Game 7 of the Coyotes' Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Detroit Red Wings. This is the fourth straight g

<< Liberty Bowl renews agreements with SEC, Conference USA
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southeastern Conference and Conference USA have agreed to four-year extensions to continue participating in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Liberty Bowl has also entered into a contingency agreement wit

<< Cardinals ink Faneca
Tempe, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Cardinals signed free agent offensive lineman Alan Faneca to a one-year deal. Faneca is guaranteed $2.5 million, according to his agent, Rick Smith. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection spen

<< IndyCar runs season's first oval race at Kansas
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: IZOD IndyCar. Date: Saturday, May 1. Race: Road Runner Turbo Indy 300. Site: Kansas Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start Time: 2:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 300. 2009 winner: Scott Dixon. Televisi

<< Trucks head to America's heartland
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date: Sunday, April 2. Race: O'Reilly Auto Parts 250. Site: Kansas Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 167. Miles: 250.5. 2009 winner: Mike Ski

Novak signs with Chargers >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chargers have signed San Diego native Nick Novak, according to the kicker's agent, Chad Wiestling. Novak will join his fourth NFL team, having previously kicked for Washington, Arizona and Kansas Ci

Liriano solid as Twins down Tigers >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Francisco Liriano hurled eight shutout innings for the second consecutive start, and the Twins used a trio of Detroit errors to help record a 2-0 victory over the Tigers at Comerica Park. Liriano (3-0) stru

Burrell homers as Rays edge A's >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pat Burrell hit a three-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Oakland Athletics, 8-6, in the opener of a two-game set at Tropicana Field. Jason Bartlett went 3-for-5 with two RBI for t

Lowell's bases-loaded walk lifts Buchholz, Red Sox over Jays >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Lowell worked a pinch-hit bases loaded walk in the eighth inning and Clay Buchholz turned in a solid performance on the mound as Boston clipped Toronto, 2-1, in the middle contest of a three- game se

Treanor, Wilson lead Rangers past White Sox >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Treanor went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, and the Texas Rangers got by the Chicago White Sox, 4-2, behind another strong outing from C.J. Wilson. Wilson (2-1) hurled his fourth straight

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.