Kings edge Celts

Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Martin scored 22 points as the Kings held off a late Boston rally to beat the Celtics, 104-101, and continued their domination in the series.

Ron Artest contributed 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals for Sacramento, which snapped a three-game skid, but beat the Celtics for the 12th time in the last 14 meetings. The Kings beat Boston for the 11th straight time at home.

"We're hustling off the bench and playing good defense," Sacramento's Francisco Garcia said.

Paul Pierce had 26 points for Boston, which was back to its old tricks in the first game after the All-Star break. The Celtics ended a franchise-record 18- game losing streak with a victory against Milwaukee last Wednesday, but couldn't overcome the Kings and lost their ninth straight on the road.

Delonte West added 23 with six rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, but his three-point shot at the buzzer came up short.

Brad Miller, who played in his first game since February 8, hit two free throws with 1:37 left that represented the game's final points. Artest then blocked a shot from Al Jefferson, but Martin missed a jumper with nearly a minute remaining.

Rajon Rondo then missed a jumper and a follow shot for the Celtics, and Brian Scalabrine failed to save the ball in bounds, giving it back to the Kings with 45.7 seconds left.

John Salmons and Artest missed three-pointers on the other end, and West then raced up the court, but his shot fell shy of the basket.

"Del made a good choice because he did see an opening," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "He actually had a good look."

Miller ended with 12 points, Kenny Thomas 11 and Mike Bibby 10 for the Kings.

Jefferson had 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Ryan Gomes scored 10 before fouling out for Boston.

The Kings led 34-26 after one quarter, but Boston rallied to close the gap in the second. Sebastian Telfair's three-pointer had the Celtics within 55-51 and it was 66-62 in favor of the home team at the half.

A Pierce three had the Celtics within 68-67, but Boston could never take the lead in the final 24 minutes. Miller's two free throws capped 12 straight Sacramento points for an 89-71 margin with 3:42 left in the quarter.

It was 91-81 going into the fourth and it was 102-94 with 6:05 left before the Celtics rallied to get within one at 102-101 on Rondo's jumper with 1:57 to go.

Game Notes

Boston is 0-8 against the Pacific Division...The last time the Celtics defeated the Kings on the road was on February 16, 1996...Boston's last road win was January 5 against Memphis...Gerald Green, who won the NBA All-Star dunk title on Saturday, was limited to four points. He had five fouls...Miller had been out with a partially torn fascia in his left foot...Boston's Wally Szczerbiak sprained his left ankle...The Kings now head to the road for four games in five nights against Washington, New Jersey, Indiana and Philadelphia.

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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.