Washington and Marquette meet in first round of 2010 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles and the 11th-seeded Washington Huskies will meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's East Region.

Up next for the winner of this contest is a second-round clash with either third-seeded New Mexico or 14th-seeded Montana.

Washington has lost its last 10 games against Big East Conference foes, not exactly a source of confidence heading into tonight's affair. The Huskies earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10 Conference Tournament title with three consecutive victories last week. They are 24-9 and are making their 14th appearance in the "Big Dance", posting a 15-15 record in their previous showings.

As for Marquette, it is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 28th overall, and the program is 34-28 all-time in college basketball's top postseason event. The Golden Eagles were awarded with an at- large bid after posting a 22-11 record and reaching the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament. Marquette has faced a current member of the Pac-10 Conference 19 times and owns a 13-6 record.

Marquette has won both previous meetings with Washington, the most recent of which took place in 1978.

The Huskies rely heavily on a pair of standout performers to carry the load at the offensive end. Quincy Pondexter leads the team in both scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg), and he is a 53.5 percent shooter from the floor. Pondexter is also an 84 percent shooter from the foul line, so he often has the ball in his hands at the end of close games. Isaiah Thomas checks in with 17.1 ppg for the Huskies, who are posting 79.8 ppg while limiting opponents to 69.9 ppg. They have been strong on the boards this season, outrebounding foes by 4.3 rpg. Washington carries a seven-game win streak and plenty of confidence into this clash. Pondexter is the first player in Pac-10 history to earn five Pac-10 Player of the Week honors in one season, and he figures to be the focus of the Golden Eagles' defensive efforts tonight.

Marquette is generating 72.9 ppg while limiting opponents to 64.2 ppg. There are three double-digit scorers in the fold, and Lazar Hayward checks in with 18.1 ppg. The versatile forward is an 84.3 percent shooter from the foul line, impressive to say the least. Hayward does more than just score, as he is ripping down 7.7 rpg to go along with 60 steals. Jimmy Butler provides 14.9 ppg on 53.5 percent field goal efficiency, and he is pulling down 6.4 rpg. Rounding out the trio is Darius Johnson-Odom with 12.8 ppg on the strength of his 47.4 percent shooting from three-point range. The Golden Eagles have only committed 340 turnovers, 136 fewer than the opposition. They have also attempted 119 more free throws than the opposition.

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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.