Wolf leads Dodgers to rout of Pirates

Baseball Betting Lines

04/21/2007 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Randy Wolf had 10 strikeouts and hit a two- run double that capped a six-run third inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-2, in the opener of a three-game series.

Luis Gonzalez, Nomar Garciaparra and Andre Ethier had two RBI each for the Dodgers, who have won eight of their last 10 games. Juan Pierre had three hits and scored three times for Los Angeles, which sent 10 men to the plate in the third.

Wolf (3-1) went six innings allowing just one run on six hits.

Wolf struck out 10 for the 10th time in his career. The last time was September 21, 2002 against the Reds when he fanned a career-high 13 as a member of the Phillies. Aside from the 10 strikeouts, all of Wolf's recorded outs were through the air.

"Believe me, I know, I think five years ago was the last time I was really healthy," Wolf said. "It's so great to be pitching with this lineup behind me. Tonight they gave me a big lead early and made my job easier."

Tony Armas (0-2) was tagged for eight runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out none in 2 2/3 innings for the Pirates, who suffered their third straight loss.

"Nothing against Tony, but it's hard to play catch up when you're down eight runs so early," said Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche, who is hitting .100 this season. "I just need to get some good at-bats to get me going."

After Rafael Furcal fouled out, Pierre singled and Garciaparra walked before Jeff Kent singled to left, scoring Pierre. Gonzalez followed with a single to center, plating Garciaparra. Armas then plunked Russell Martin, loading the bases for Ethier whose sacrifice fly to left brought home Kent. Wilson Betemit's single to right drove in another run and Wolf's double chased Armas and gave the Dodgers an 8-1 lead.

Ethier's solo homer in the fifth and Gonzalez's RBI single in the sixth inning extended the Dodger's lead to 10-1.

After Jack Wilson walked and Jason Bay singled to begin the eighth, Xavier Nady grounded into a double-play, scoring Wilson and capping the scoring.

Pittsburgh took the lead in the first on Nady's two-out RBI single. The Dodgers, however took the lead for good in the bottom half on Garciaparra's two-run single to right.

Game Notes

The Dodgers have won six of the last eight meetings...This marked the first time this season LA batted around in an inning...Since being dropped second in the batting order, Pierre is 11-for-22 and has a five-game hitting streak.

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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.