Tigers, White Sox open five-game set in Windy City

Baseball Betting Lines

07/23/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams will get a very good look at each other over the next couple of days, as the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox begin a rare five-game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.

Thanks to a rain out back on April 26, the two teams added an extra game to this original four-game series, as the clubs will play a double-header on Tuesday.

However, Detroit and Chicago will first get reacquainted with one game tonight.

Andrew Miller will start for the Tigers and has alternated wins and losses over his last seven outings. That includes a win over Minnesota on Wednesday, as Miller improved to 5-3 on the season with a 3.18 earned run average after tossing five innings of one-run ball with four hits, four walks and five strikeouts.

The left-hander faced the White Sox once last season in relief, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a Detroit loss on September 19.

The first-place Tigers come into this set on a sour note after dropping two of three to the lowly Kansas City Royals after dropping the rubber match, 5-2, on Sunday.

Nate Robertson (6-7) was battered for 11 hits and five runs -- four earned -- with five strikeouts and one walk over six-plus innings.

Craig Monroe homered in the loss, while Magglio Ordonez had an RBI double for the Tigers, who begin an 11-game road trip tonight and lead Cleveland by just one game for the top spot in the American League Central.

The White Sox, meanwhile, won the opener of their four-game set with Boston on Thursday, but then dropped the next three games.

On Sunday, Josh Fields had two hits and a pair of RBI in the club's 8-5 loss. Juan Uribe had three hits, while Rob Mackowiak, Alex Cintron and Jim Thome knocked in a run apiece.

Chicago starter Jon Garland (7-7) was charged with six runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings, fanning three but walking five in the loss.

Mark Buehrle starts for the White Sox tonight. The left-hander is 3-1 over his last five starts and has pitched particularly well over his last three outings, winning twice while throwing to a 1.21 ERA.

He was last in action on Wednesday when he allowed one runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings in a win over Cleveland. The victory improved Buehrle to 7-5 on the year with a 2.91 ERA.

The 28-year-old has faced Detroit 21 times in his career (20 starts) and is a solid 11-7 against them with a 2.92 ERA and four complete games that includes a pair of shutouts.

Chicago and Detroit have split four games so far this season, with the Tigers winning the lone meeting at U.S. Cellular Field on April 25. The White Sox won 12 of the 19 meetings last year.

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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.

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds

Will he or won't he?  Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.

Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.

"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."

Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.

Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.

But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.

Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback.  It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.

Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1


Atlanta Falcons 50-1


Baltimore Ravens 15-1


Buffalo Bills 50-1


Carolina Panthers 18-1


Chicago Bears 10-1


Cincinnati Bengals 15-1


Cleveland Browns 100-1


Dallas Cowboys 15-1


Denver Broncos 15-1


Detroit Lions 100-1


Green Bay Packers 50-1


Houston Texans 100-1


Indianapolis Colts 6-1


Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1


Kansas City Chiefs 30-1


Miami Dolphins 40-1


Minnesota Vikings 75-1


New England Patriots 10-1


New Orleans Saints 18-1


New York Giants 20-1


New York Jets 30-1


Oakland Raiders 100-1


Philadelphia Eagles 18-1


Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1


Saint Louis Rams 60-1


San Diego Chargers 6-1


San Francisco 49ers 75-1


Seattle Seahawks 20-1


Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1


Tennessee Titans 40-1


Washington Redskins 50-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.