Reds hand ball to rookie Leake vs. Nationals

Baseball Betting Lines

07/20/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Reds are going to be careful with how many innings rookie Mike Leake racks up this season. They might be tempted to take the leash off tonight given how well he pitched against the Nationals last time.

Leake will try to stretch his unbeaten streak to five straight starts this evening when Cincinnati continues a four-game series with Washington at Great American Ball Park.

The eighth overall pick of the 2009 draft, Leake skipped the minors and jumped right into the Reds' rotation this season, going 6-1 with a 3.53 earned run average over the first half while throwing 109 2/3 innings. That includes a victory against the Nationals on June 5 as he limited the club to just one unearned run on seven hits over seven innings, striking out five batters without a walk.

Though he hasn't lost since June 16, the 22-year-old righty is just 1-0 with a 5.13 ERA over his unbeaten run. Leake did not get a decision on July 9 versus the Phillies, hurling 8 1/3 innings while giving up five runs -- four in the ninth inning -- on nine hits.

The Reds have won three of four since the All-Star break and took last night's series opener, 7-2. Johnny Cueto allowed just two runs and four hits over six innings, winning his ninth game of the season while lowering his season ERA to 3.39. Cueto has allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts.

"He's learning to back off the mound, take the ball out of the air some, regroup and get his composure back," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He's learning and he's winning while he's learning."

Jonny Gomes and Miguel Cairo both connected on solo homers, with Gomes ending with three hits and three runs scored. Drew Stubbs added a two-run double for the Reds, who remained a half-game back of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central despite playing without Scott Rolen for a third straight game.

The All-Star third baseman had been battling the flu, but also revealed he has a right hamstring injury. He received a cortisone shot and could land on the disabled list.

Even without Rolen, the Reds put up six runs and six hits over J.D. Martin's 5 1/3-inning outing for the Nationals, who have lost three in a row and five of six.

Washington was coming off back-to-back shutouts versus Florida and has only scored eight runs over its last five games. Nyjer Morgan and Cristian Guzman had one RBI each last night.

"As a manager that's what you do, you worry," Washington manager Jim Riggleman said of the recent offensive slump. "You never take anything for granted. I'm positive we'll come out here [Tuesday] and try to win a ballgame."

The Nats recalled right-hander Luis Atilano last night from Triple-A Syracuse and he will start tonight.

Atilano is 6-6 with a 4.85 ERA and he lost his final two starts before getting sent down to the minors. He last pitched on July 8 versus the Padres and was charged with four runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings of a 7-1 setback.

The 25-year-old made his first career start versus the Reds on June 5, squaring off with Leake, and gave up two runs, only one earned, over seven innings in a tough-luck loss.

The Reds took two of three in Washington on June 4-6, but it was the Nationals who took three of four at Cincinnati last season.

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Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

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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.