Basketball Betting
 

Basketball Betting


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

NBA Basketball Betting

Armas out of Pirates' rotation, but who's in?

Baseball Betting Lines

05/18/2007 -

PITTSBURGH (AP) -Tony Armas was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen on Friday after failing to pitch longer than three innings in his last two starts, a move that means the club's two highest-paid pitchers are relievers.

The right-handed Armas (0-3, 8.46 ERA) was the only Pirates starter not to win this season, never going longer than six innings in any of his seven starts. The Pirates beat Florida 7-2 as Armas started Thursday, but he was lifted trailing 2-1 after throwing 77 pitches - only 43 for strikes - in three innings.

Armas went only two innings in the start before that, a 9-2 loss to Atlanta on May 12, and he was on the mound for a combined 6 2-3 innings in his first two starts of the season last month.

``I think it's important to do this for his benefit and the club's benefit, in order to get him straightened out,'' manager Jim Tracy said Friday. ``We're not going to be able to do that pitching him every fifth day in the rotation. He needs a different environment, to work out some of the things necessary to get him back on track.''

One problem is Armas is throwing a lot of pitches in nearly every start but is not going deep into games. Armas has lasted only 10 innings in his last three starts.

``He's found it very difficult when he gets to two strikes to be able to put him (the batter) away - there are eight, nine, 10 pitch at-bats,'' Tracy said. ``There are some delivery and mechanical issues we need to sort out because, for whatever reason, the ball is not coming out of his hand right. But by no stretch of the imagination are we giving up on him.''

Armas, 9-12 with a 5.03 ERA for Washington last season. signed with the Pirates for $3 million and was their only major pitching addition during the offseason. The Pirates' only higher-paid pitcher is right-hander Shawn Chacon (1-0, 2.84), who replaced Armas on Thursday to pitch five shutout innings of relief and get the victory.

Chacon, who is making $3,825,000, is a possibility to start May 26 in Cincinnati, the next time the Pirates need a fifth starter. They have an off day Monday and thus can skip a spot through this turn in the rotation.

``That could include Shawn Chacon, yes, it could, along with a few other guys we're keeping an eye on, not only here but with our Triple-A club,'' Tracy said.

The Pirates might be more inclined to bring up one of two former first-round draft picks: 2001 pick John Van Benschoten (3-3, 2.47 ERA) or 2002 pick Bryan Bullington (6-1, 2.40 ERA), two right-handers who have pitched well all season at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Sooner or later, the Pirates need to find out what the two pitchers - both of whom have had major arm operations - can do in the majors. Van Benschoten is 27, yet has pitched only six games in the majors. Bullington, 26, has appeared in only one major league game.

Armas, the son of former major league outfielder Tony Armas, is 48-63 in 158 career games with the Expos, Nationals and Pirates.

Shortstop Jack Wilson, who jammed his right shoulder running down a foul popup Thursday night, was out of the lineup Friday for only the second time this season. He is day to day.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

<< Keyshawn Johnson meets with Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Veteran receiver Keyshawn Johnson visited with the Tennessee Titans on Friday but said he has no timetable for when he hopes to have a deal.Johnson, who turns 35 in July, was released by Carolina earlier this month after the P

<< McNabb says he and Reid getting along just fine
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (AP) -Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid don't need any counseling.``My relationship (with Reid) probably is better than it was before,'' McNabb said Friday, rejecting speculation that there's a rift between the quarterback and coach.Spe

<< Briggs a no-show at Bears minicamp
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -Disgruntled Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs was a no-show as expected Friday when the Chicago Bears opened a three-day minicamp.In March, the Bears tagged Briggs as their franchise player, prompting him to threaten a holdout

<< Van Gundy out as Rockets coach
HOUSTON (AP) -If Jeff Van Gundy had decided sooner that he wanted to return to the Houston Rockets, he would still have a job. At least that's what the team was saying Friday after firing him.The Rockets' Game 7 loss to Utah meant a first-round exit

<< Johnson says he's ready for Goodell's punishment
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson said Friday he's ready to accept whatever punishment NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gives him for his recent off-field problems that included a two-month stint in jail.``I feel like

Yankees hope to have Pavano decision next week >>
NEW YORK (AP) -The Yankees hope to announce next week whether Carl Pavano will need surgery.Pavano hasn't pitched since April 9 and might have a reconstructive elbow operation, which would sideline him for the remainder of this season and most, if n

Clemens throws 58 pitches over 4 innings in minor league start >>
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Roger Clemens allowed only a solo homer and threw 58 pitches in four innings for Class-A Tampa on Friday night, his first minor league start as he prepares to rejoin the New York Yankees.With owner George Steinbrenner watching from

Report: Mitchell agrees to return as Raptors coach >>
TORONTO (AP) -NBA coach of the year Sam Mitchell agreed to a new contract with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, The Canadian Press reported.The Canadian Press, citing an unidentified source close to the negotiations, said the official announcement cou

New Jersey Nets NBA Playoff History >>
2007 - Beat Toronto 4-2; Lost to Cleveland 4-2.2006 - Beat Indiana 4-2; Lost to Miami 4-1.2005 - Lost to Miami 4-0.2004 - Beat New York 4-0; Lost to Detroit 4-3.2003 - Beat Milwaukee 4-2; beat Boston 4-0; beat Detroit 4-0; Lost to San Antonio 4-2.20

Friday's NBA Playoff Capsules >>
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -LeBron James scored 23 points, and Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 15 years with an 88-72 victory over New Jersey on Friday night.Cleveland won the series 4-2 and heads to Detroit

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.

Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year

Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.

Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.

With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.

Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.

Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.

Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.