Twente closes gap to nine points

Soccer Betting Lines

03/22/2009 - Enschede, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Twente revived its fading title hopes on Sunday with a 2-1 win over 10-man Groningen at Arke Stadion, while leaders AZ Alkmaar finished 0-0 with Feyenoord.

Groningen was reduced to 10 men just 12 minutes into the game as Andreas Granqvist was sent off, and the home side went in front in the 34th minute through Eljero Elia.

They maintained their one-goal advantage until the 72nd minute when Peter Wisgerhof found the back of the net, while Marcus Berg pulled one back for Groningen with a minute to play.

The visitors had their hopes of leaving with all three points severely damaged in the 12th minute when Granqvist was sent off for deliberately handling the ball to prevent Kenneth Perez from getting in on goal.

The subsequent free kick forced a good save from goalkeeper Luciano, while Perez followed up the play by smashing the ball off the crossbar.

Gonzalo Garcia should have put Groningen up when he hit the crossbar from a few yards out, but the miss would prove costly as the home side grabbed the lead before halftime.

Ronnie Stam crossed to Elia and he beat the keeper with an acrobatic bicycle kick, while Twente continued to pressure in the second half as Wisgerhof headed home a Perez free kick to make it 2-0.

Berg grabbed a goal for Groningen in the 89th minute, but it wasn't enough to prevent Twente from extending its unbeaten run at home to 18 games.

Roda got second-half goals from Andres Oper and Sekou Cisse to beat Den Haag 2-0, and Utrecht finished 0-0 with last-placed Volendam.

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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.