Reds hope to get on track at home versus Pirates

Baseball Betting Lines

09/10/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If a return home isn't enough to fix the Cincinnati Reds, then perhaps a visit from the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates will do the trick. Tonight, the Reds will try to stop a five-game losing streak when they begin a three-game set with the Pirates at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati has won its last four and eight of its last nine in the Queen City and has also dominated the Pirates there, taking 11 of the last 14 meetings. The Pirates have also dropped 15 of 16 away from home.

However, Cincinnati returns home after a miserable road trip that saw it go just 1-6 with losses in the final five games, including a 6-5 defeat to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. Drew Stubbs hit a two-run home run while Ramon Hernandez went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Reds, who lost their 10th straight game in Colorado and fell to the Rockies for the 19th time in their last 22 tries.

"I don't think we've won a game here in two years," said Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker. "It's just a strange string of events that have happened here to make things turn against us."

The Reds actually led 5-0 on Thursday only to see the Rockies score six unanswered runs with the deciding tally coming on a straight steal of home by pinch-runner Chris Nelson.

Travis Wood was charged with three runs on five hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts over five innings. Nick Masset (3-4) was on the hill at the time of the steal and was handed the loss.

"It's one of those things you think will never happen, and it happened," said Masset. "It's embarrassing. It's something that shouldn't have happened. It's something I take complete fault for."

Thanks to the slide, Cincinnati has seen its lead over St. Louis in the NL Central fall to five games. Another loss tonight would give the Reds their first six-game losing streak since an eight-game skid July 28-Aug. 4, 2009.

Hoping to get the Reds back on track tonight will be right-hander Homer Bailey, who is a perfect 5-0 against the Pirates with a 1.57 earned run average in five starts. Bailey tossed a four-hit shutout the last time he faced them back on May 12.

Bailey, though, is winless in his last three starts after falling in St. Louis on Sunday, as he was hit for four runs and five hits in six innings. He is 3-3 on the year and has allowed 13 runs in his last three starts spanning 17 1/3 innings to raise his ERA to 5.00.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will counter with left-hander Paul Maholm, who has lost his last five decisions. Maholm was charged with the loss on Saturday against Washington, which battered him for seven runs and nine hits in just 4 1/3 innings.

Maholm, who is 6-4 lifetime versus the Reds, has lost seven of his last eight decisions and is a miserable 7-14 on the year with a 5.43 ERA.

Pittsburgh enters tonight's tilt on a bit of a high note after taking two of three from the playoff-hopeful Atlanta Braves. However, the Bucs are still just 47-92, 31 1/2 games back of the Reds in the division.

Cincinnati has won eight of its 15 meetings with the Pirates this season.

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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.

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