Feathers are sure to fly in clash between Redbirds and Bluejays

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/01/2012 - Omaha, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 13th-ranked Creighton Bluejays continue one of their most memorable seasons ever, as they play host to the Illinois State Redbirds tonight in Omaha in Missouri Valley Conference action.

Illinois State is 14-8 on the year, and the Redbirds sit a game over .500 in conference play at 6-5. They have won their last two tilts, the most recent of which being a 60-40 shellacking of Southern Illinois at home on Saturday. ISU is just 2-5 in true road games this season, and the team has dropped its last three outside of Normal.

Creighton has won 20 of its first 22 games, and is a 10-1 in MVC play. The Bluejays have won 10 straight, and they are 11-1 at home this year. A 73-59 triumph over Bradley was the team's most recent, and following this bout, it will hit the road for a pair before playing three of its final five regular- season games in Omaha.

Illinois State owns a 40-27 advantage in the all-time series, but Creighton has won the last three meetings, including an 87-78 decision in Normal on January 13 of this year.

Illinois State is averaging 68.8 ppg behind typical shooting outputs of 44.4 percent overall and 36.5 percent from three-point range. The team has two players netting double figures on a consistent basis, as Jackie Carmichael (13.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Tyler Brown (12.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) have done their best to keep the Redbirds competitive. Defensively, the team yields 62.5 ppg as foes are hitting just 40.8 percent of their total shots, which includes a 33.4 percent showing from beyond the arc. The Redbirds are +2.8 in rebounding margin, but they are -0.7 in turnover differential. Both Carmichael and John Wilkins logged double-doubles in the recent rout of Southern Illinois, with the former tallying 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the latter 10 points and 11 boards. As a team, ISU shot 44.4 percent from the floor, while limiting the Salukis to 30.0 percent. A 15-6 edge in points from the foul line also played an important role, as did a 40-29 rebounding advantage.

Creighton is one of the highest scoring teams in the country, averaging 80.9 ppg behind highly-efficient shooting percentages of .514 overall and .449 from three-point range. The Bluejays are led by MVC Player of the Year shoe-in, Doug McDermott (23.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg), and the team's only other double-digit scorer at the moment is Antoine Young (11.2 ppg, 4.4 apg). When it comes to playing with their backs to the basket, the 'Jays are giving up 67.8 ppg with foes shooting 42.4 percent from the field. Creighton routinely wins the battle on the board by 5.5 rpg, but is guilty of 13 turnovers per outing, compared to just 11.5 for the opposition. McDermott was on his season average in the recent win over Bradley, hitting 10-of-14 field goal attempts for 24 points, while Gregory Echenique and Josh Jones chipped in with 14 points apiece, the former also grabbing 10 boards as well. The Bluejays shot 54.5 percent from the field, while the Braves were just 39.0 percent accurate. A 17-7 edge in points from the charity stripe helped, but there was a negative in the game as Creighton committed 19 turnovers.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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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.

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