SEC action pits Gators against Vols

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - Gainesville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators return to Gainesville looking to regain their swagger, as they play host to the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC action at the O'Connell Center.

Billy Donovan's Gators headed into this week with a seven-game win streak and a measuring stick on the docket with Tuesday's road game at top-ranked Kentucky. Unfortunately for Florida, it didn't quite measure up in a 78-58 loss to the Wildcats. Still, at 7-2 in conference play, the Gators are one of a few teams still within striking distance of Kentucky in the standings.

Cuonzo Martin's first season in Knoxville has certainly come with its ups and downs thus far. The team is an even 12-12 overall and one game under .500 in league play at 4-5. The real problem has come on the road, where Tennessee is still winless at 0-7. The Vols do enter this contest with a minor two-game win streak in tow, topping Georgia (73-62) and most recently South Carolina (69-57) at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Volunteers hold a 70-52 advantage in the all-time series. Florida had won four straight over Tennessee coming into this season, but it is the Volunteers seeking the regular-season sweep after opening SEC play with a 67-56 win over the Gators in Knoxville on January 7th.

The Volunteers have struggled with offensive consistency this season, as the numbers, like their overall record, are bland at best. Tennessee comes into this contest averaging a modest 68.6 ppg, doing so on .440 shooting. Guard Trae Golden is the team leader in the scoring column, but his 13.0 ppg isn't exactly the kind of numbers that scare many opponents. He also doubles as the team's primary distributor, doling out 4.6 apg. Jeronne Maymon (11.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg) has provided a presence in the paint and the recent addition of freshman Jarnell Stokes (8.9 ppg. 7.9 rpg) to the lineup has certainly helped take some of the low post burden off of Maymon's shoulders. However, Stokes is currently sidelined with a wrist injury.

Junior Skylar McBee made his presence felt in the team's 12-point win over South Carolina this week, as he hit four three-pointers en route to a career- high 18 points. Golden poured in 14 points in support, while Maymon added 12. Kenny Hall scored just four points in the win, but did grab 10 rebounds and block three shots. The Vols shot an impressive 50 percent from the floor, including 10-of-20 from beyond the arc, while holding South Carolina to a mere 33.9 percent effort.

Tennessee will be hard-pressed to match Florida's offensive firepower, especially after a poor showing in Lexington this week. The team managed a mere 58 points in the loss to the Wildcats, well below its current season averaging of 79.2 ppg. The Gators did manage to have three players finish in double figures in the lopsided loss, led by Kenny Boynton's 18 points. Fellow guard Bradley Beal added 14 points, while center Patric Young chipped in with 12.

The scoring output was certainly an anomaly and not the norm, as UF's scoring depth is vast, with all five starters averaging double digits. Boynton is the go-to-guy at the offensive end, averaging a hefty 17.6 ppg, fueled by his .440 accuracy from three-point range (81-of-184). Beal (14.3 ppg) and Erving Walker (12.1 ppg) add to the perimeter assault, with Walker pacing the team with almost five assists per game. Young (10.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is the top option up front, with forward Erik Murphy (10.0 ppg) providing a scoring touch both inside and out.

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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.