D-Backs settle with reliever Breslow

Baseball Betting Lines

02/09/2012 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided arbitration on Thursday with Craig Breslow, signing the veteran reliever to a one-year contract.

The D-Backs acquired the 31-year-old lefty and starting pitcher Trevor Cahill from Oakland in December.

Breslow went 0-2 with a 3.79 earned run average in 67 appearances for the A's and led all relief pitchers with a career-high five pickoffs last season.

For his career, Breslow has compiled a 12-17 record with six saves and a 3.06 ERA in 295 games with San Diego, Boston, Cleveland, Minnesota and Oakland.

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<< Bayern signs Swiss starlet Shaqiri from Basel
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich acquired Switzerland starlet Xherdan Shaqiri from Basel on Thursday and signed him to a four-year contract. The 20-year-old Shaqiri will join Bayern this summer on a contract through the 2015

<< Hoffenheim fires coach Stanislawski
Sinsheim, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoffenheim and coach Holger Stanislawski have parted way following the club's exit from the Pokal Cup, it was announced Thursday. Hoffenheim has struggled under Stanislawski, who took over before the se

<< Symetra Tour announces 2012 slate
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Symetra Tour announced its schedule for the 2012 season on Thursday. The schedule for the LPGA's developmental tour will have 16 events in 12 states and one in Mexico, and includes a purse of

<< Swansea signs coach Rodgers to long-term deal
Swansea, Wales (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Swansea City signed coach Brendan Rodgers to a 3 1/2-year contract extension Thursday through the 2014-15 season. Rodgers, 39, led the Wales club to the Premier League in his first full season and has the cl

<< Ticats reach deals with pair of receivers
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tiger-Cats signed Bakari Grant to a contract extension that will keep the receiver in Hamilton through the 2014 season. Grant caught 42 passes for 507 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie l

Bayern's Schweinsteiger tears ankle ligament >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich and German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger faces another layoff after tearing an ankle ligament in a Pokal Cup win over Stuttgart, the club announced Thursday. Schweinsteiger, who was sidel

Hawks sign Erick Dampier >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks have added some depth to a banged-up front line by signing veteran center Erick Dampier to a 10-day contract. Centers Al Horford and Jason Collins are both sidelined with injuries, le

England names Pearce interim coach >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England named Stuart Pearce interim coach Thursday, one day after Fabio Capello resigned. Pearce will manage England against Netherlands in a friendly later this month, while the English FA searches for a

Real Madrid's Altintop sustains calf injury >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid's Hamit Altintop has sustained a muscle tear in his left calf and will likely be sidelined for a few weeks, the La Liga club announced Thursday. Although Real Madrid gave no exact timetable for

Koivu back in Wild lineup Thursday >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild will have captain Mikko Koivu in the lineup when they host the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Koivu missed eight games with a shoulder injury suffered

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.

FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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