Blue Jays edge Rangers in 11 innings

Baseball Betting Lines

04/22/2009 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Millar doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th after Toronto blew a three-run lead in the ninth, as the Blue Jays got past Texas, 8-7, in the middle contest of three-game set from the Rogers Centre.

Rod Barajas slugged a pair of two-run homers and Alex Rios had four hits with two RBI for Toronto, which has wins in three of its last four. Jose Bautista also collected four hits and scored twice while Millar scored twice and banged out three hits in the win.

B.J. Ryan was tasked with holding the lead in the ninth, but started by hitting Chris Davis with a pitch and walking Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Ian Kinsler plated the first run with a fielder's choice grounder to second, that looked to be a sure double-play ball, but Aaron Hill's throw from second was wide of the bag and Kinsler took second on the throw. Kinsler then stole third to set up pinch-hitter Josh Hamilton's RBI ground out.

Michael Young then took Ryan deep to left-center, tying the game at seven.

Young also doubled twice, knocked in two and scored twice for Texas, which handed Toronto ace Roy Halladay his first loss of the season on Tuesday in the series opener. Saltalamacchia also ended with two RBI in defeat.

After Millar ended the bottom of the ninth with a double-play ball, Jason Frasor (3-0) was called upon to hold off the Rangers, and he did with two perfect frames of work.

Vernon Wells worked a walk off C.J. Wilson (0-2) to start the home 11th and moved up on Travis Snider's sacrifice bunt. Scott Rolen was issued an intentional free pass and Darren O'Day, acquired off waivers from the Mets earlier in the day, was summoned from the pen. Millar worked the count to 2-2 before taking a slider into the gap in left-center to end the game.

David Purcey limited the Rangers to three runs on seven hits and two walks over 5 1/3 frames while striking out six, but was denied his first victory of the 2009 season thanks to Ryan's antics in the ninth.

Matt Harrison was touched for five runs on nine hits and two walks over four innings in his start for Texas.

The Blue Jays jumped on top 2-0 in the second inning. Millar lined a two-out single into center and Harrison left a 1-1 changeup up in the zone as Barajas took it out to left field for the early lead.

Texas tied it just as quickly, though, as Nelson Cruz led off the third with a single and advanced to third on Davis' double to the left-field gap. Saltalamacchia roped a two-run single to left to even the score.

Barajas' second two-run shot of the game highlighted a three-run fourth as the Jays took a 5-2 lead. Millar doubled to left with one down and Barajas launched a slider deep to left. Bautista followed with a base-hit, moved to third on Hill's two-out single and crossed home on an RBI single by Rios.

Omar Vizquel singled and scored on a Young double in the fifth, cutting the Rangers' deficit to 5-3, but the Jays tacked on two more in the sixth off Scott Feldman on RBI singles by Rios and Adam Lind.

Texas got a run off Scott Downs in the eighth as Young doubled to right leading off, advanced to third on an Andruw Jones single and scored on a fielder's choice grounder from Marlon Byrd.

Game Notes

Texas split its eight games with the Blue Jays last season, but won both matchups held at the Rogers Centre...Kevin Millwood (1-1) gets the start in Thursday's series finale for Texas opposite Toronto's Scott Richmond (1-0)... The Rangers placed right-handed pitcher Kris Benson on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, retroactive to April 16, with right elbow tendinitis. The club also acquired O'Day and transferred pitcher Dustin Nippert from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.

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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.

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds

Will he or won't he?  Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.

Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.

"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."

Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.

Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.

But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.

Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback.  It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.

Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1


Atlanta Falcons 50-1


Baltimore Ravens 15-1


Buffalo Bills 50-1


Carolina Panthers 18-1


Chicago Bears 10-1


Cincinnati Bengals 15-1


Cleveland Browns 100-1


Dallas Cowboys 15-1


Denver Broncos 15-1


Detroit Lions 100-1


Green Bay Packers 50-1


Houston Texans 100-1


Indianapolis Colts 6-1


Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1


Kansas City Chiefs 30-1


Miami Dolphins 40-1


Minnesota Vikings 75-1


New England Patriots 10-1


New Orleans Saints 18-1


New York Giants 20-1


New York Jets 30-1


Oakland Raiders 100-1


Philadelphia Eagles 18-1


Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1


Saint Louis Rams 60-1


San Diego Chargers 6-1


San Francisco 49ers 75-1


Seattle Seahawks 20-1


Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1


Tennessee Titans 40-1


Washington Redskins 50-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.