Nationals add Lidge to bullpen
Baseball Betting Lines
01/26/2012 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nationals have agreed to terms with reliever Brad Lidge on a one-year contract.
Lidge, 35, has been a closer for much of his career, but has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in recent years. He will likely be a setup man for Drew Storen, who posted a 2.75 earned run average and converted 43-of-48 save chances for Washington last season.
The right-handed Lidge had spent the last four seasons with the Phillies and helped the team to a World Series title in 2008. He posted a 1.95 ERA and converted all 48 of his save opportunities during the regular season and playoffs.
However, the following season, Lidge blew 11 saves while recording an 0-8 record and 7.21 ERA. He rebounded in 2010, but has appeared in only 75 games in the last two seasons because of elbow and shoulder injuries.
Lidge has spent 10 seasons in the majors after being selected in the first round of the 1998 draft by Houston. He pitched his first six seasons with the Astros.
The two-time All-Star has converted 223-of-266 save opportunities, and has a career ERA of 3.44 in 592 appearances (one start). Lidge has struck out 789 in 594 innings, and owns a record of 26-31.
Lille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lille acquired defender Mauro Cetto on loan for the rest of the season Thursday from Italian club Palermo. The 29-year-old Argentine started his career with Rosario Central, but later played in France wit
<< Barca's Iniesta out three weeks with hamstring tear
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta will
be sidelined three weeks with a left hamstring tear, the European champions
announced Thursday.
Iniesta was injured just before the half-hour mark in Wednesday
<< QPR signs defender Onuoha from City
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - QPR acquired defender Nedum Onuoha from
Manchester City on Thursday and signed him to a 4 1/2-year contract.
Onuoha, 25, made his debut for City in 2004 and played 92 matches for the
club, some of
<< Toronto FC signs defender Eckersley
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC signed defender Richard Eckersley on
Thursday.
Eckersley, 22, joined Toronto FC on loan from Burnley last April and played 23
matches for the Major League Soccer club. He started 22 of those matches
<< Road to Super Bowl XLVI: Giants have been down this path before
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the narrator in Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not
Taken" may have decided to take the path less traveled, the New York Giants
have opted for a different approach on their route to Super Bowl XLVI.
Some of the situati
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is expected to miss practice time this week in preparation for next Sunday's Super Bowl because of the ankle injury he sustained during last Sunday's AFC Champio
Guadalajara names Ambriz new manager >>
Guadalajara, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Guadalajara named Ignacio Ambriz its
new manager Thursday, as the former Mexican international takes charge of his
third different club in his native country.
Ambriz, 46, made 64 appearances for Mex
A's sign OF Gomes >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Athletics have agreed to terms on a one-
year contract with outfielder Jonny Gomes.
Gomes, 31, split last season between Cincinnati and Washington, and hit .209
with 14 homers and 43 RBI in 120 games
In the FCS Huddle: Keeler isn't the FCS' only FBS candidate >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ink seemingly wasn't dry on a contract
that would send Greg Schiano from Rutgers to the head coaching job with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and already there was potential fallout:
Delaware coach K.C. Keel
Schiano leaves Rutgers for Tampa Bay >>
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers must have been serious
about finding a new coach from the college ranks.
After a strong flirtation with Oregon's Chip Kelly last weekend, the Bucs on
Thursday have reportedly settled
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.