Bayern hopes to start new run against Wolfsburg
Soccer Betting Lines
01/27/2012 - Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich opened the second half of the Bundesliga season the way it opened the first half, with a loss. But after the setback to Monchengladbach in August, Bayern became invincible.
Well, at least for a stretch of 13 matches.
Bayern turned its season-opening 1-0 loss to Gladbach into the spark for a big streak of 12 successive shutouts in all competitions, including a 2-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League.
At the time, Bayern entered the conversation with Barcelona as one of the best club's in Europe. But since the unbeaten streak was snapped, Bayern has proven it is still mortal.
After its latest loss to Gladbach, 3-1, last weekend, the pressure is on for a second streak, and coach Jupp Heynckes admitted it was time for a new approach with its lead atop the standings only goal differential.
"I've told my team in no uncertain terms," Heynckes stated, "that I expect a very different approach, not just on Saturday, but right through to the end of the season."
Bayern hosts Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, but while suspended winger Franck Ribery returns ("When Franck's in the team, our quality goes up another notch," Heynckes said.), injured center back Daniel van Buyten starts his spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.
Regardless, Bayern has no choice but to move on with the options it has at its disposal, even if those include Brazilian defender Breno, who has gone through a turbulent first half of the season off the field.
"We're wide awake now," said Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger about the loss to Gladbach, "I'm very confident."
Wolfsburg has allowed 34 goals this season, third-worst in the league, and may play right into the hands of Bayern, which will look to get back on track this week to maintain its lead and build momentum for the Champions League last 16.
Defending champion Borussia Dortmund sits level on 37 points withe Bayern, and hosts Hoffenheim on Saturday. Third-place Schalke also has 37 points, and will visit Cologne on Saturday.
Gladbach has also remained in the race, as it's just one point off the pace in fourth ahead of its visit to Stuttgart on Sunday.
In Saturday's other games, Augsburg hosts Kaiserslautern, Hertha Berlin hosts Hamburg, and Werder Bremen hosts Bayer Leverkusen in a match-up of the fifth- and sixth-place teams, respectively. Also Sunday, Mainz hosts Freiburg in a clash of bottom-four sides.
Hannover hosts Nurnberg on Friday to open the week's matches.
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin has owned the Breakaway Challenge since the event's inception a few years ago, but with the Washington Capitals star pulling out of the league's All-Star Game, some new faces will get a chance at the
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Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton
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<< Rangers hope to close the gap on Celtic
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Scottish Premier League play on Saturday with an opportunity to place some
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<< Former Bengals QB Cook dies
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Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AC Milan announced Friday that it has signed striker Maxi Lopez from Catania, possibly signaling the end of the Rossoneri's pursuit of Carlos Tevez. Milan appeared to be in the mix to land the want-away Manc
Giants sign infielder Theriot >>
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Ryan Theriot to a one-year, non-guaranteed major league contract.
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Phillies, Pence agree for $10.4 million >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies avoided
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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
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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.
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