Thunder, Warriors collide in Oakland

Basketball Betting Lines

01/27/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Western Conference-leading Thunder will kick off a three-game road trip tonight when they visit Oakland to take on the Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder (15-3) won their third straight game and for the 11th time in 12 contests on Wednesday when Kevin Durant scored 25 points, pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots, lifting Oklahoma City over the skidding Hornets, 101-91.

James Harden added 18 points and six assists for OKC, which improved to 8-1 at home this season. Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook each tallied 14 points.

"Going into this game, we knew they were going to play scrappy basketball," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "That's how they've been playing. Unfortunately for them, they haven't been rewarded for it, but we knew we were going to be in for a tough game and they proved it tonight."

Oklahoma City, which will play eight of its next nine on the road, will finish its trek against the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas. The Thunder are 7-2 as the visitor on the season.

The Warriors, meanwhile, snapped a three-game skid and improved 1-2 on a six- game homestand Wednesday when Stephen Curry hit six of Golden State's 11 three-pointers and finished with 32 points and seven assists, as the Warriors took down the Portland Trail Blazers, 101-93.

David Lee posted 26 points and Brandon Rush added 14 off the bench to help the Warriors get back in the win column.

Monta Ellis scored just four points, 19 below his season average, but dished out 12 assists in the victory.

"Monta did a great job of getting in the seams understanding he didn't have it offensively, meaning scoring, and the great players figure out how to impact a game even though they are not able to do what they do best," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said.

Oklahoma City took two of three games from the Warriors last season but Golden State has won three of the last four in the series played in Oakland.

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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.