Gasol carries short-handed Lakers over Spurs

Basketball Betting Lines

02/09/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pau Gasol had a spectacular all-around game with 21 points, 19 rebounds, a season-high eight assists and five blocked shots, pacing the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-89 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant sat out his second straight game due to a sprained left ankle. LA was also missing Andrew Bynum (bruised right hip), but Gasol filled the center role nicely.

"I can't move my ankle," Bryant said. "It's frustrating. If the All-Star game was today I wouldn't play. If I can move and get to the basket I'll play. We'll make a decision Wednesday."

Lamar Odom chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Ron Artest scored 18 for the Lakers, who moved to 25-4 at home this season. They've won seven of their last nine games overall.

"We finished well for a game that seemed to be a struggle," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "It's a good win for us. I like our defense. We're playing better. Rebounding was terrific. It's always good for a team to rally with two stars out."

Manu Ginobili had 21 points off the bench, while starter Tony Parker scored 20 for the Spurs, who failed to build on a victory in this same building two nights ago against the Clippers. Tim Duncan registered 16 points and 15 rebounds.

"A disappointing loss. The Lakers were obviously a little short-handed and played mentally tougher than we did," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They played physically tougher than we did and got a win."

Ginobili's layup moved the Spurs within 74-70, 44 seconds into the final quarter, but the Lakers ran off the ensuing seven points, capped by Shannon Brown's three-ball.

A Ginobili three had the visitors within 81-75, but the Spurs failed to close the gap the rest of the way.

The Spurs led 34-28 after one quarter, but the Lakers surged back for a 50-47 halftime edge. LA held a double-digit lead in the third before going to the fourth with a 73-68 edge.

Game Notes

San Antonio's Richard Jefferson went 2-of-9 from the field for nine points. It was the 16th time this season he was held under double digits...San Antonio has lost four straight at the Lakers...Under Jackson, the Lakers are 17-19 against San Antonio in the regular season. In the postseason, Jackson is 15-7 against the Spurs, advancing to the next round in four of five series meetings...San Antonio is 9-2 against the Pacific Division this season...The Spurs are 2-2 on their eight-game rodeo road trip.

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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.