Lumberjacks look to cut down Bearkats in Southland title game

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/13/2010 - Katy, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With an NCAA Tournament bid on the line, the top- seeded Sam Houston State Bearkats will battle the second-seeded Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game at the Merrell Center.

Last season the Lumberjacks captured this event's title with a win over Texas- San Antonio. This season the Lumberjacks finished 11-5 in league play and racked up 23 overall victories. SFA began this tournament with a 77-54 victory over UT-Arlington and followed that with a 60-53 decision over Texas A&M- Corpus Christi.

As for the Bearkats, they began this event with a 62-57 victory over Nicholls State and then defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 88-85, in semifinal round play. Sam Houston State was outstanding throughout the season, racking up 24 victories, while finishing with an impressive 14-2 ledger in conference play.

The Lumberjacks hold a 92-89 edge over Sam Houston State, but the Bearkats have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including a 66-57 decision over Stephen F. Austin earlier this season.

The Lumberjacks were not overwhelming in their semifinal matchup against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, but the team did enough to grab a seven-point victory. Stephen F. Austin shot 47.8 percent from the field in the matchup, and also connected on 6-of-13 attempts from behind the arc. Walt Harris led the way with 15 points in the win, while Jordan Glynn and Jereal Scott posted 11 points apiece. Eddie Williams added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the matchup. Williams has been one of the best players on the floor this season for SFA, as the guard is contributing 13.6 ppg, to go along with 5.9 rpg. Scott is helping out with 12.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg, while Harris is posting 11.3 ppg for the Lumberjacks.

The Bearkats exploded at the offensive end of the floor in their victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday, as Sam Houston State scored 88 points in the win. The team shot 43.3 percent from the floor, and finished with an impressive 11-of-23 clip from behind the arc. The Bearkats also enjoyed 30 points off 21 Southeastern Louisiana turnovers. Ashton Mitchell scored 18 points and dished out seven assists, while Corey Allmond also posted 18 points. Gilberto Clavell added 16 points, while Lance Pevehouse and Preston Brown contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively. Clavell is pacing the team on the season with 16.7 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Allmond is contributing 15.8 ppg, while Mitchell is netting 12.6 ppg, to go along with 156 assists.

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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.