Clippers host Nuggets at Staples Center

Basketball Betting Lines

02/22/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers aim to halt a two-game skid and head into the NBA's All-Star break atop the Pacific Division when they host the Denver Nuggets tonight.

The Clips lead their Staples Center co-tenants, the Lakers, by just one game in the division after dropping their second in a row at Golden State on Monday, 104-97.

Monta Ellis scored 32 points in that one as the Warriors finished with the final nine points in the game to steal the win.

Chris Paul scored 24 points for the Clippers, but none in the fourth quarter. He missed a jumper early in Golden State's run and had another shot from the foul line blocked by Dominic McGuire. Blake Griffin finished with 21 points and nine boards.

"We have to put teams away...play with a sense of urgency," Griffin said. "We can't coast the whole game and expect to win at the end."

The Clippers, who were coming off an overtime loss to the Spurs on Saturday, dropped back-to-back games for the first time since Dec.28 and 30 -- their second and third games of the season.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, won for just the third time in 13 games on Monday when Arron Afflalo drained the go-ahead shot with 33.7 seconds remaining in overtime as Denver outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves, 103-101, at Pepsi Center.

Afflalo had 20 points overall and Al Harrington paced all scorers with a season-high 31 off the bench. Rookie Kenneth Faried contributed a double- double with 10 points to go with 14 rebounds for the short-handed Nuggets, who snapped a three-game skid.

"We were able to find a way to get it done. I'm just proud of everybody," Harrington said.

Denver, of course, has been without leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (left ankle) since Feb. 8 and big man Nene (left calf strain) since Feb. 14. Meanwhile, swingman Rudy Fernandez missed his second straight game against the Wolves with a lower back strain and starting point guard Ty Lawson left in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle. Both Lawson and Fernandez are listed as day-to-day.

The Nuggets snapped a three-game skid against the Clippers with a 112-91 win in Staples Center back on Feb. 2.

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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.