Beltran, Mets hold off Dodgers

Baseball Betting Lines

07/21/2007 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Beltran homered for the second straight game and the New York Mets scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a throwing error in a 4-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Wright also drove in a run and Oliver Perez threw 7 1/3 strong innings, as the Mets took the second contest of the four-game series after winning 13-9 on Thursday.

Perez (9-6) allowed six hits and a run, walked three and struck out eight, as the NL East-leading Mets won for the fifth time in seven games. Billy Wagner threw the final inning for his 21st save.

"I felt real good," Perez said. "I changed speeds and made my pitches. They have a good hitting lineup and I was just trying to keep my team in the game."

Mets second baseman Jose Valentin suffered a fractured right tibia when he fouled a ball off his leg in the fourth inning. This is the second time Valentin has hurt his right leg this season. He suffered a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee and was on the disabled list from April 29 until June 7.

"It's not a complete fracture, but it's enough to keep me out for six weeks," Valentin said. "I have to live with it and take it a day at a time."

Nomar Garciaparra homered for the Dodgers, who have dropped three of four.

Brett Tomko gave up five hits and an unearned run over six innings in the start for Los Angeles. Roberto Hernandez (0-1) allowed two hits and three runs -- two earned -- in the eighth inning.

With the game tied 1-1, Jose Reyes doubled to start the eighth and Marlon Anderson then put down a bunt. Hernandez raced to field the ball, which trickled toward third base, but his throw to first was low and the ball got by James Loney, as Reyes scored. Beltran clubbed the next pitch over the wall in right-center field.

Garciaparra flied out to center field, leaving runners at the corners to end the eighth before Wagner retired the side in order in the ninth.

Wright singled in Anderson in the first, but Garciaparra led off the second with a homer to center.

Game Notes

Garciaparra has only three homers this year...Juan Pierre extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in the first inning for the Dodgers. He then stole second and third base to bring him to 40 for the season...Jeff Kent had two of LA's seven hits.

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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.