Lightning try to get on a roll against Panthers
Hockey Betting Lines
12/26/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will aim for back-to-back wins for the first time since early November when they visit the Florida Panthers for tonight's Southeast Division battle at BankAtlantic Center.
This is the opener of a home-and-home series as the Panthers will also visit the Lightning on Saturday.
The Lightning last posted consecutive victories during a three-game winning streak from October 28-November 1, but have gone just 4-13-6 in 23 games since.
Tampa is last in the Southeast with 25 points, while the Panthers are third in the division with 36 points.
The Bolts ended a three-game losing streak with Tuesday's road victory in Pittsburgh. Mike Smith needed to stop just 15 shots to record his second shutout of the season as Tampa Bay tripped up the Penguins, 2-0, at Mellon Arena.
Matt Pettinger and Paul Szczechura scored for the Lightning, who won for only the eighth time all season -- the fewest wins for any team in the league.
It was just the third victory for the Lightning under interim head coach Rick Tocchet, who took over for the fired Barry Melrose over a month ago. Tampa is just 3-9-5 since the coaching change.
Tampa is just 5-10-3 as the visiting team this year and is wrapping a three-game road trip tonight. The Bolts have lost 10 of their last 12 away from Tampa.
The Panthers, meanwhile, will be shooting for their third straight win tonight. Florida has notched back-to-back shutout victories, beating Colorado, 3-0, on Sunday and defeating Nashville by the same score on Tuesday.
Tomas Vokoun made 27 saves to record his second consecutive shutout and the 28th whitewashing of his career, as Florida downed the Predators at BankAtlantic Center.
Vokoun has three shutouts this season and is 8-10-1 with a .921 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average. He is likely to get the call again tonight. The Panthers have never shut out the opposition in three straight games.
Rookie Michael Frolik scored twice for the Panthers, who are 8-2-1 over their last 11 games.
Kamil Kreps added an assist and has one goal and five helpers during a five-game point streak. The 24-year-old forward has just one goal and seven assists on the season.
The Panthers are 8-4-2 as the host this year and have won two straight and three of four home tests.
Florida is 2-0 against the Lightning this year, winning a 4-0 home decision on November 12 before posting a shootout victory in Tampa less than a week later. The Panthers have taken four of five and six of the last nine encounters and Tampa has dropped two straight and six of seven in Sunrise.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators have had all sorts of trouble scoring goals as of late. That is not a good thing with Detroit Red Wings coming to town. The Predators will host the first-place Red Wings tonight at the Sommet Cente
<< Capitals set to take on Sabres
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals will aim for their seventh
victory in eight games when they welcome the Buffalo Sabres for tonight's
matchup at the Verizon Center.
The Capitals have won six of seven, with their lone setback in tha
<< Islanders hope to halt skid in home test with Leafs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders will try to earn their first win
in nearly a month when they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs for tonight's
battle at Nassau Coliseum.
The Isles last tasted victory on November 29 when they beat Ottaw
<< Devils welcome Penguins to Garden State
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Atlantic Division foes will square off tonight
in Newark as the New Jersey Devils welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the
Prudential Center.
Just one point separates the Devils and Penguins in the standings, as Je
<< Celtics aim to get back on track in Oakland vs. Warriors
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics aim to bounce back
from their first loss in well over a month Friday when they resume a four-game
West Coast road trip in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.
The C's fell in
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Blackhawks will try match their franchise record for consecutive wins tonight against a team they haven't beaten in over seven years. Chicago will play host the also red-hot Philadelphia Flyers tonight at the United Cente
Thrashers go for consecutive victories in home meeting with 'Canes >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers will try to post back-to-back
victories for the first time in over a month when they host the Carolina
Hurricanes in tonight's Southeast Division clash at Philips Arena.
The Thrashers have won two of
Kings and Coyotes begin home-and-home in LA >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings begin a home-and-
home set tonight, as they meet in California at the Staples Center.
Phoenix, which will host Los Angeles tomorrow, posted a 4-2 home victory over
the Kings on Dec
Oilers visit Canucks, shoot for back-to-back wins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers will try to win consecutive games for
the first time since earlier in the month, as they visit the Vancouver Canucks
tonight at GM Place.
The Oilers snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday with a 4
Bobcats, Nets clash in Garden State >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Nets aim for their second straight win when
they host the Charlotte Bobcats in the front end of a home-and-home set
between the two clubs at the IZOD Center.
New Jersey ended a two-game losing streak with a
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.