Vols set sights on Aztecs in first-round action

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In search of their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, the 11th-seeded San Diego State Aztecs take aim at the sixth- seeded Tennessee Volunteers in the first round at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The survivor of this Midwest Regional pairing will tangle with either Georgetown or Ohio University in the second round on Saturday.

The Aztecs have won nine of their last 10 games and included in that run is a victory over UNLV in the Mountain West Tournament title game on Saturday. It marked the third MWC Championship for SDSU, which is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2006. The Aztecs however, have yet to advance past the first round, although they came close in an 87-83 loss to Indiana in their last appearance.

On the flip side, the Vols received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after they were thrashed by Kentucky, 74-45, in the semifinals of the SEC Championship on Saturday. That loss obviously hurt the team's seeding, as Tennessee is sixth despite 25 wins, including triumphs over Kansas and Kentucky, two No.1 seeds in this event. The Vols are making their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth straight. Tennessee is 13-18 all-time in the event, including a 9-7 mark in the first round.

Tennessee has won both prior meetings with SDSU on the hardwood, with the last clash coming back in 1988.

If the Aztecs are to spring the upset tonight they will have to do so behind stingy defense and solid rebounding. Those are two areas the team has fared well in, as SDSU is holding foes to 61.8 ppg, while outrebounding them by 6.7 rpg. Kawhi Leonard has recorded 15 double-doubles on the season and he paces SDSU with 12.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 45 steals. The MWC Freshman of the Year showed his dominance on the glass by ripping down a whopping 21 caroms in the tourney title game. Malcolm Thomas also provides help on the boards with 7.8 rpg and he even chips in with 11.0 ppg. Billy White tacks on 11.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for SDSU, while D.J. Gay contributes 10.3 ppg and 3.2 apg.

The Vols are averaging 73.6 ppg, but not at the expense of any defense, as they are forcing 16.8 turnovers per game and holding opponents to just 39.4 percent shooting from the field. Wayne Chism and Scotty Hopson are tied for the team-lead in scoring at 12.5 ppg, with Chism is also ripping down a team- high 7.1 rpg and Hopson recording 34 steals. Bobby Maze adds 9.6 ppg and 3.0 apg to the rotation for Tennessee, while J.P. Prince logs 9.3 ppg and a team- high 52 steals.

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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.

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