Watlantahawks Basketball Betting News

<< Sanchez plays in kids game at field he supported
PITTSBURGH (AP) -This was one doubleheader Freddy Sanchez didn't mind playing.Despite not finishing a rain-delayed Giants-Pirates game until nearly 12:30 a.m. Saturday, the Giants second baseman took part later that afternoon in a game for special n

<< MLB ban on draft pick trades can hurt weak teams
Kobe Bryant is chasing his fifth championship with the Los Angeles Lakers - the only NBA team he has played for.It's not the one that drafted him, though.John Elway is as much a part of Denver as the Rocky Mountains; he was originally picked by the

<< Parker earns first LET victory
Rotterdam, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Florentyna Parker carded a two-under 70 on Sunday to win the ABN AMRO Ladies Open. Parker ended at nine-under-par 207 for her first victory on the Ladies European Tour. Krystle Caithness

<< Thibodeau distraction comes at worst time for Celtics
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Another distraction isn't what the Boston Celtics needed right now but don't blame Tom Thibodeau. The NBA's best assistant finally got a head coaching job this weekend when he accepted a three-year deal to mentor the Chica

Gainey collects first Nationwide Tour win >>
College Park, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tommy Gainey closed with a six-under 65 Sunday to pick up his first Nationwide Tour win at the Melwood Prince George's County Open. Gainey finished the event at 17-under-par 267. Frank Lickliter II

Mariners place Fister on DL, recall French >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners on Sunday placed pitcher Doug Fister on the 15-day disabled list and recalled pitcher Luke French from Triple-A Tacoma. Fister, who is suffering from right shoulder fatigue, is 3-3 wit

Mariners put RHP Fister on DL with sore shoulder >>
SEATTLE (AP) -Mariners starter Doug Fister was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a sore pitching shoulder.Fister is 3-3 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 starts. The right-hander was scratched from his scheduled outing Saturday to try to alleviate

Pac-10 commish gets authority to pursue expansion >>
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Pac-10 board has given commissioner Larry Scott the authority to pursue any possible expansion for the conference.Scott spoke following the conclusion of the conference meetings in San Francisco on Sunday. Earlier in the day

American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout

An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.

Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off.  Randy was not impressed though.  Paula thought he started off fantastic.  "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either. 

Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed.  Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact.  He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition. 

Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula.  Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.

Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next.  Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential.  Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell.  He sang "Careless Whisper".

22 year old Chris Richardson was up next.  He was listed with +1100 odds coming in.  He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great. 

Nick was boring and pitchy.  Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week.  Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition. 

Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds .  These of course were the early odds.  He was considered original for picking an "odd song".  He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night. 

Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good. 

Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds.  Great voice and a great sense of humor.  He's a real standout.  Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit.  Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig". 

Jared Cotter followed.  He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition.  The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good. 

22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next.  "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon.  Though the judges felt he performed okay.  Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.

Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition.  He was the last to perform.  He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start. 

Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys.  Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

SPORTS BETTING

In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.

It is called the "pointspread."

Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.

A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.

In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.

The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.

Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards