11/21/2008 - Mar del Plata, Argentina (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2008 Davis Cup World Group final commenced Friday, as visiting Spain and host Argentina are knotted at 1-1 following the opening singles rubbers.
The best-of-five championship round got underway when Argentine star David Nalbandian spanked Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, but Feliciano Lopez surprisingly pulled Spain even with a 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory over rising world No. 9 Argentine slugger Juan Martin del Potro at Mar del Plata.
The world No. 11 Nalbandian outclassed the 12th-ranked Ferrer in just under two hours on the indoor hardcourt here at Estadio Islas Malvinas.
Ferrer failed to take a lead at any point on Day 1 and was under constant pressure due to some solid serving and tremendous net play by Nalbandian.
The former Tennis Masters Cup champion and former Wimbledon runner-up Nalbandian whipped Ferrer with the help of seven aces, and the gritty Argentine broke the Spaniard's serve a whopping seven times, compared to only two breaks for the eventual loser.
Nalbandian improved to 4-6 lifetime against Ferrer, including wins now in three of their last four encounters. This marked their first meeting this year and their first-ever Davis Cup matchup.
"I don't think it was one of my best matches, but I played very well," Nalbandian said. "I played very solid from the first point, so that gave me confidence point by point. I think I played a match of very high level, not much on the time, very short, and that's very good for the whole weekend."
The 26-year-old Nalbandian is now 17-4 in his career Davis Cup singles.
The 27-year-old lefthanded Lopez then stunned the 6-foot-5 del Potro in 3 hours, 19 minutes, despite a 24-ace barrage from the tall Argentine. Lopez fired 19 aces of his own on his way to victory. Both players could manage only two breaks apiece over four sets of tennis.
Trailing 2-3 in the final set, del Potro doubled over in pain and called for a trainer. After play resumed, the lanky Argentine was unable to overcome the game Lopez.
The 31st-ranked Lopez is now 2-2 lifetime against the 20-year-old del Potro, including a perfect 2-0 mark this year.
Saturday's pivotal doubles bout currently calls for an Argentine duo of Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri to meet a Spanish tandem of Lopez and fellow southpaw Fernando Verdasco, while Sunday's reverse singles currently pit del Potro against Ferrer and Nalbandian versus Lopez.
The Spaniards, captained by Emilio Sanchez, also have Davis Cup rookie Marcel Granollers at their disposal. Granollers joined the squad last week when world No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal, citing a knee injury. The amazing Nadal is the reigning Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champ.
The formidable Argentine squad, captained by Alberto Mancini, is seeking its first-ever Davis Cup title, while the Spaniards already own two championships, with both coming this decade, in 2000 and 2004. Argentina was the runner-up two years ago and also back in 1981.
Spain is 2-0 all-time versus Argentina, which is hosting for the first time ever in this series. The Spaniards prevailed at home way back in 1926 and again in 2003.
The Spaniards, who are 2-3 in their all-time Davis Cup finals and appearing in their fourth final this decade, reached this year's final by beating the 32-time and defending champion United States 4-1 in a semifinal in Madrid, while Argentina got past Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires, with del Potro winning a fifth and deciding rubber.
The Argentines have won 13 straight Davis Cup ties as the host.
<< Hull leads; Sorenstam's career ends with missed cut
West Palm Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Katherine Hull posted a one-under 71
Friday to maintain a one-shot lead after two rounds of the ADT Championship.
Hull completed 36 holes at five-under-par 139.
However, the big story was Annika S
<< Making a run at LeBron
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Every time LeBron James wears a New York Yankees cap, the
basketball fans in Gotham smile.
I guess the reasoning is simple and goes something like this...Since the
Cleveland Cavaliers' superstar loves baseball's most stori
<< Hoffenheim eyes top spot against Koln
Cologne, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoffenheim's Jan Schindelmeiser admitted he
never "would have thought it possible" the promoted club would be near the top
of the Bundesliga, "just as no one here would have."
But Hoffe, promoted to the
<< Packers Can Badly Injure Saints' Playoff Hopes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Monday night could represent something of a last stand for
the New Orleans Saints.
Despite being picked by many to win the NFC South prior to the season, Sean
Payton's team finds itself at a disappointing 5-5 heading into
U.S. men to open 2009 schedule against Sweden >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The United States men's national team will kick
off a busy 2009 schedule when they face Sweden on Jan. 24.
The game, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., follows a training camp
that begins the first
Griffins' Wilson recalled by Dallas >>
Grand Rapids, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grand Rapids Griffins left winger Landon
Wilson was recalled by the Dallas Stars on Friday, the American League Hockey
club announced.
Wilson, 33, leads the AHL with seven power-play goals and rank
Jets QB Ainge suspended four games by NFL >>
Florham Park, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Jets rookie quarterback Eric
Ainge has been suspended by the NFL for four game on Thursday for violating
the league's policy on steroids and related substances.
Placed on injured reserve
Stars' Morrow to miss six months >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow is
expected to miss up to six months after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament
in his right knee, the club announced on Friday.
The 29-year-old Morrow skated in
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.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting