Football Betting

Steelers agree to five-year deal with Pouncey

Football Betting Lines

07/30/2010 - Latrobe, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a five-year deal with first round draft choice Maurkice Pouncey. He is expected to be with the team for its' first official practice on Saturday.

Financial details of the deal were not released.

The 6-foot-4, 304-pound Pouncey was the 18th overall selection in the 2010 draft and was the first center tabbed in the first round by the Steelers since they took Mike Basrak in 1937.

He was the first Florida player to win the Rimington Trophy, given each year to the best college center, last season after not drawing a penalty or allowing a sack or a quarterback pressure during any of the Gators' 919 offensive snaps.

Pouncey started 39 of the 41 games he played in during his three years in Gainesville and was part of the 2008 national championship squad.


<< A's activate Anderson, disable Bailey
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics made several moves on Friday, among them reinstating pitcher Brett Anderson from the 15-day disabled list and placing pitcher Andrew Bailey on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 21.

<< Fisher flirts with 59, takes Irish Open lead
Killarney, Ireland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ross Fisher fired a 10-under 61 on Friday to grab sole possession of first place after the second round of the Irish Open. Fisher finished 36 holes at 12-under 130 and is three strokes cl

<< Vikings come to terms with RB Gerhart
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly signed running back Toby Gerhart. The Star Tribune revealed Friday that Gerhart, the 51st overall draft pick back in April, was given a four-year, $3.767 mill

<< German midfielder Khedira joins Real Madrid
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid agreed to a transfer for Germany midfielder Sami Khedira from Stuttgart on Friday. The 23-year-old will sign a five-year contract after undergoing a physical in Madrid. Khedira emerged in the re

<< NL Central: Pirates' purge won't be like years past
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The final few days of July are almost always antsy ones for veteran players of the Pittsburgh Pirates, not to mention an absolute nightmare for the organization's media relations staff, equipment managers and clubhouse attend

Zambrano rejoins Cubs >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs have reinstated pitcher Carlos Zambrano from the restricted list prior to Friday's road game against the Rockies. The right-hander's placement on the restricted list stemmed from a du

Redskins' Haynesworth held out of practice again >>
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was held out of practice for a second straight day Friday after again failing to pass his conditioning test. Haynesworth was held out of the R

Senators re-sign D Campoli >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators have re-signed defenseman Chris Campoli to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. Campoli, 25, appeared in 67 games for the Senators last season, collecting four goals and 18

Hat Trick: Jets bring back Coles for third time >>
Florham Park, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets and wideout Laveranues Coles have renewed relations. The Jets' Twitter page on Friday revealed the signing, and while terms have yet to be released, the New York Post repo

Cowboys' WR Bryant injured >>
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant suffered an apparent right ankle injury during Friday's practice. Bryant was helped off the field after colliding with a defender toward the end of the se

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.