Football Betting

Crew chief Letarte extends contract with HMS

Autoracing Betting Lines

07/30/2010 - Pocono, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Letarte, the crew chief for four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, has signed a multi-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports.

Letarte and HMS made the announcement Friday at Pocono Raceway, the site of this weekend's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.

"I'm extremely excited," the 31-year-old Letarte said. "Hendrick Motorsports is the only company I've ever received a paycheck from. I've worked here since I was a teenager, and they've provided wonderful opportunities for me. I owe a lot to them. I'm really excited to be extended here so I can go a few more years."

HMS promoted Letarte to Gordon's crew chief in September 2005 when then crew chief Robbie Loomis departed the team and took a position with Petty Enterprises. Later that season, Letarte picked up his first win as a crew chief when Gordon scored the victory at Martinsville Speedway.

Gordon currently is second in points, but has been winless in the last 49 races, which is the longest drought in his Cup career. His most recent victory came in April 2009 at Texas. Gordon's last series title came in 2001.


<< Robinson agrees to five-year deal with Saints
Metairie, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms with rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson on a five-year contract. Financial terms of the deal for the 32nd and last pick in the first round of April's draft were

<< Gaming: Mountain West mediocre outside of league play
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Mountain West's non-conference straight-up records point in a favorable direction at 41-28 over the last two years, but don't be so quick in jumping to the windows to wager on the league against outside c

<< Hancock says Big 12 defections won't affect BCS
DETROIT (AP) -Bowl Championship Series executive director Bill Hancock says the defections of Nebraska and Colorado from the Big 12 will not influence the BCS.Hancock spoke Friday at the Mid-American Conference's media day at Ford Field in Detroit.N

<< Texans agree to terms with first-round pick Jackson
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Texans have reportedly agreed to terms with cornerback Kareem Jackson, the team's first-round pick in the 2010 draft. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the deal with Jackson, the 20

<< Bolstered Padres to begin home set with Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A walk-off victory and the acquisition of a six-time All- Star made Thursday one exciting day for the San Diego Padres. San Diego will hope Friday is just as good, as it is expected to have infielder Miguel Tejada availabl

Hilliard, Tyree retire as Giants >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former New York Giants receivers Ike Hilliard and David Tyree each signed contracts this week to retire as members of the organization. Hilliard played in 98 games, starting 92, during his career

Sounders aim to continue winning ways against 'Quakes >>
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Sounders FC will go for their third straight win on Saturday when they visit Buck Shaw Stadium to face the San Jose Earthquakes. The Sounders followed a 1-0 win over D.C. United with a 2-1 vi

Rapids, Dallas both gunning for points in Western showdown >>
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rapids host FC Dallas at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Major League Soccer action on Saturday night. The Rapids (6-5-5), who are winless in six league fixtures, should have their hands f

K.C. hopes to build on win vs. Man United in league play vs. TFC >>
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It has been a disappointing season to so for the Kansas City Wizards, but the Major League Soccer club is hoping it can use a 2-1 win in an exhibition against English premier League side Manchester United

Niners ink draft picks Davis, Mays, Bowman >>
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco 49ers have signed three of their first four picks from April's draft, including first-rounder Anthony Davis. In addition to a five-year deal for Davis, an offensive tackle from Rutger

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.