Happy days are here again for Harvick

Autoracing Betting Lines

08/16/2010 - Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Harvick was enduring a miserable season at this point in 2009, as he sat 23rd in the Sprint Cup Series point standings. One year later, "Happy Harvick" is smiling more than ever after winning his third race of the season and becoming the first driver to lock down one of the 12 positions for this year's championship Chase.

Harvick's win at Michigan on Sunday was his first on a non-restrictor plate track since November 2006. Harvick was winless in NASCAR's top-tier series during the 2008 and '09 seasons before his 115-race drought came to an end in April at Talladega. He also won in July at Daytona.

With three races remaining before the Chase begins next month at New Hampshire, Harvick and his Richard Childress Racing teammates, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton, are in the top-12 in points. Bowyer finished 13th at Michigan and reclaimed the coveted 12th spot. After his disappointing 28th-place run, Mark Martin is 13th and trails Bowyer by 35 points. Burton holds the seventh position.

Harvick has been the points leader since the spring race at Richmond. He now is 680 points ahead of Bowyer, a margin that allowed him to clinch a spot in the Chase after Michigan. The points margin between Harvick and second-place Jeff Gordon is 293.

Harvick's phenomenal season has been the highlight of Richard Childress Racing's resurrection in 2010.

"I think the reason for it is we were so damn bad last year," Harvick said of the resurgence. "I think it's just a matter of everybody was embarrassed last year. We've really been running pretty well since probably the last six or eight weeks of last year. It didn't just happen today.

"One of the best things that we all went through last year was the fact that we I realized everybody didn't like losing as much as I did, and we all wanted to achieve the same goals. We were headed in the right direction to do those things. I think it's just coincidental timing."

Team owner Richard Childress would agree.

"We got way off last year, started coming back towards the end of the year," Childress said. "Kevin and I talked. We knew a lot of things we wanted to change, work on, fix. We fixed a lot of them. I'm just happy to have him back here for three more years. We're gonna be contenders, for sure."

After a disappointing 19th-place finish in points last year, it looked like Harvick was on his way out of RCR at the conclusion of this season, when his contract with the team was set to expire.

Harvick, who has driven the No.29 car for RCR in Cup since replacing Dale Earnhardt after Earnhardt's fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500, signed a contract extension with Childress in May.

Childress and Harvick have scheduled a press conference at their race shop in Welcome, NC on Tuesday. The duo reportedly will announce that Budweiser will sponsor Harvick's No.29 team, starting in 2011. His present sponsor, Shell/Pennzoil, is leaving RCR at season's end and taking its sponsorship to Kurt Busch's new No.22 ride at Penske Racing next year.

As good as he's been, Harvick has not cornered the market on winning, and his main goal right now is to pick up wins and additional bonus points before the start of the Chase. Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin lead the series with five victories each, though Johnson has not won since the last weekend in June at New Hampshire, and Hamlin hasn't driven into Victory Lane since two months ago at Michigan. Harvick is next in line with his three wins.

"Do you think it would go over well if we went on vacation? Probably not," Harvick said. "Right now, we're in a fortunate position to be doing what we're doing. I've been in that 12th, 13th-place battle and it sucks, to be honest with you. You can't sleep at night, and you can't do anything to get your mind off of that.

"We're going to enjoy it. We're going to go and race hard, and we're going to try to gain 30 more bonus points. Hopefully we can have a couple things that we can try. For sure now, whether it's engines, parts, pieces, over the next three weeks, try to get a little bit better."

Hamlin and Johnson could clinch their spots in the Chase after next Saturday night's race at Bristol.

Harvick has emerged as the favorite to win this year's Chase in some circles, but that's a dangerous line of thinking based on recent events.

Last year, Tony Stewart won three races and held a sizeable points lead heading into the regular season-ending race at Michigan. But Johnson dominated the Chase by winning four races and easily capturing his record fourth consecutive Cup title. Stewart finished sixth in points, with one win in the Chase at Kansas.

In 2008, Kyle Busch won eight races before entering the Chase, but Busch's title hopes quickly went up in smoke after he experienced engine trouble in the first two races of the playoffs.

Harvick has a firm grasp on that history.

"I think over the last four years, you can look at the 48 [Johnson's team], and they've done the same thing and won the championship," he said. "Until you beat the guy that's won the last four championships, we're fast enough to beat them, but the circumstances and all the things have to go your way over the last 10 weeks. It's not about a whole season anymore; it's about 10 weeks."

Harvick winning his first Cup championship is by no means out of the realm of possibility, but it would be a stunning upset if he dethrones Johnson's dynasty.

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American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6  

The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.

Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com.  "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.

It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis.  It's like Week 1 of the NFL.  Pre-season means nada!

We do know the 24 finalists however.

Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24.  He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway.  He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien. 

Brandon Rogers - Who?

Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition.  He should go a good distance.

Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was.  And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition.  He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice!  People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way. 

"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks.  He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes.  But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.

A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”

Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes. 

"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate.  "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past.  He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far.  Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."

Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts) 

And the others:

Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter

The girls

"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis.  "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has.  The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive.  I think she will go far."

Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.

"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams.  Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth.  "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.

Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.

Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.

Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan

MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with). 

Last two contestants will be?

1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)

2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)

2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)

MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines. 

Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.