Football Betting

Tiger two behind Olesen in Abu Dhabi

Golf Betting Lines

01/27/2012 - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods posted a three- under 69 Friday to move within two strokes of the lead after two rounds of the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Woods, who is playing this event for the first time, had five birdies and two bogeys in his second round. He ended 36 holes at five-under-par 139 and is tied for fourth place.

Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen fired a five-under 67 to move into the lead. He finished two rounds at seven-under-par 137 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Olesen is in his second full season on the European Tour and is still searching for his first victory on that circuit. He did have three second- place finishes last season.

Matteo Manassero had the low round of the day as he fired a seven-under 65. That helped him jump into a share of second place at minus-six. He was joined there by Gareth Maybin, who carded a two-under 70 on Friday.

Woods was joined in fourth place by first-round co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Robert Karlsson, who both shot 72 in round two, as well as Paul Lawrie (69), Robert Rock (70) and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (71).

World No. 1 Luke Donald managed an even-par 72 in the second round. He finished two rounds at one-under-par 141, where he was joined by former British Open champion Ben Curtis (71) and six others.

Two-time defending champion Martin Kaymer had a better round on Friday, but he still missed the cut by four shots. Kaymer posted a 73 to finish at six-over- par 150.

Woods opened with a six-foot birdie putt on the first, but gave that stroke back when he failed to save par from a greenside bunker on the par-four third.

After four straight pars, Woods got up and down from a bunker for birdie on the eighth. He birdied the 11th for the second straight round, and came right back with a four-foot birdie putt on No. 12 to move to minus-five.

Woods inched within one of the lead with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th. After driving into the rough on No. 16, Woods muscled his second shot into a greenside bunker. He again failed to get up and down.

That bogey dropped him two strokes off the lead, and that's where Woods ended after a pair of two-putt pars on the final two holes.

"I thought I played well. A lot of the things Sean [Foley] and I are working on are starting to feel very comfortable," Woods said of his swing coach. "But it's tough out there, the rough's getting deeper and more lush."

Olesen got off to a flying start with three birdies over the first four holes. He birdied the first, second and fourth, all for the second straight day.

He stumbled to a bogey on the fifth to slip back to minus-four. The 22-year- old Olesen poured in three straight birdie efforts from the eighth to soar into the lead.

Olesen got to eight-under with a birdie on No. 12, then parred five in a row before faltering to a bogey at the last.

"I really like this course. It's very tough and everything is good about it," Olesen said. "You need to be straight, you need to be a good putter, you need to be good all around your golf game, so I think it's a great test of golf."

NOTES: World No. 2 Lee Westwood battled through a sore neck to card his second straight even-par 72...The cut line fell at two-over-par 146 with 69 players advancing to the final two rounds...Among those missing the cut with Kaymer were Colin Montgomerie, Jason Day, Edoardo Molinari, Todd Hamilton, Alvaro Quiros and reigning British Open champion Darren Clarke.


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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.