In the FCS Huddle: 2010 Matchups to Watch

NCAA Football Betting Lines

07/14/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Look over the entire 2010 FCS schedule long enough and certain games stand out amid your eyes blurring.

We're not talking about St. Francis (Pa.) at Morehead State, either.

It's games like Richmond at Villanova, a Colonial Athletic Association battle of the last two FCS champions, Elon-Appalachian State in the Southern Conference, and Montana-Montana State in the Big Sky Conference that make you long for a crisp, sunny Saturday afternoon in the fall.

OK, the beach and the pool aren't so bad this time of the year. But it doesn't keep us from looking forward to some of the enticing matchups of the upcoming FCS season:

Best conference matchup(s) - Well, Richmond has a difficult schedule before it even gets to its game at Villanova the day before Halloween, so we'll take the easy way out by splitting this pick between Elon's Oct. 9 visit to mighty Appalachian State; Villanova's Oct. 2 road date at William & Mary, a rematch of the defending champion Wildcats' one-point win in the national semifinals last season; and the Big Sky game of Montana, the national runner-up each of the past two seasons, at Eastern Washington on Sept. 18 - a game which could throw the west for a loop if EWU pulls an upset.

Best non-conference matchup - South Dakota State is making the long trip east to Delaware for a Sept. 11 meeting. The visiting Jackrabbits have plenty of stars - running back Kyle Minett, linebacker Derek Domino and strong safety Conrad Kjerstad - while the Blue Hens have one of their own in quarterback Pat Devlin, who has an experienced group of skill position players this season.

Best FCS vs. FBS matchup - Oh, yes, in week 1, it's Villanova against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly. When Villanova won last year's matchup, you could have made the case they would win the national title. Nobody, however, foresaw Temple going on to nine wins and a bowl game. The Owls have to figure out how to contain Matt Szczur and the rest of the Wildcats.

Worst FCS vs. FBS matchup - Idaho State at Georgia on Nov. 6. There may be more lopsided games than the 1-10 Big Sky club's visit to Athens. But do they have to play this one when the games are getting good in November?

Best neutral site matchup - It doesn't get much bigger than the Southwestern Athletic Conference collision between Prairie View A&M and Grambling State Sept. 25 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Last year's State Fair Classic went Prairie View's way, 35-32 - its first win over the Tigers since 1986.

Biggest opening weekend FCS matchup - William & Mary, in perhaps debuting North Carolina transfer Mike Paulus at quarterback, doesn't have it easy with a Sept. 4 visit to Massachusetts, which has an outstanding transfer in 1,000- yard rusher John Griffin from Northeastern.

Oddest switch of sidelines - In another Sept. 4 matchup, Richmond visits Virginia. The new head coach of the host Cavaliers is Mike London, Richmond's head coach the last two seasons, including the national title run in 2008. Latrell Scott was Virginia's wide receivers coach last season and is Richmond's head coach this season.

Biggest difference from the opener to the finale - Georgia State's first-year program under Bill Curry debuts on Sept. 2 against NAIA program Shorter College in what could be a relatively empty Georgia Dome. The Panthers close their season Nov. 18 against defending FBS champion Alabama before a huge crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Best head coaching debut vs. another head coaching debut - Savannah State and Julius Dixon visit Georgia Southern and Jeff Monken on Sept. 4.

Best debut of red turf - Montana at Eastern Washington, Sept. 18. What, would there be any other debut of red turf?

Weirdest one-week difference in scheduling - Charleston Southern goes from hosting Division II Mars Hill on Sept. 18 to visiting Hawaii on Sept. 25. Aloha to those who knew Mars Hill is located in North Carolina.

Best coaching matchup - James Madison's Mickey Matthews heads to Villanova on Oct. 23 with one more Eddie Robinson Award than the Wildcats' Andy Talley, who might have gotten his second one last year if the FCS playoffs counted in the voting.

Best future conference rivalry game - William & Mary visits Old Dominion on Sept. 18. ODU, which went 9-2 as a start-up program last fall, will join CAA Football next year.

Best "Cinderella" matchup - Butler at Davidson, Oct. 9. Oops, this isn't college basketball.

Toughest road stretch - South Dakota's first four road games are at Delaware (Sept. 11), Nebraska (Sept. 25), Northern Iowa (Oct. 2) and Southern Illinois (Oct. 16). Now if you prefer a road stretch to be in succession, then gulp over Cal Poly's five games in a row at Texas State (Sept. 18), McNeese State (Sept. 25), Fresno State (Oct. 2), Old Dominion (Oct. 9) and Southern Utah (Oct. 16). And that run is preceded by a Sept. 11 home game against mighty Montana.

Best "what conference do we play in?" schedule - In succession, Lafayette of the Patriot League will play Penn (Sept. 18), Princeton (Sept 25), Harvard (Oct. 2) and Columbia (Oct. 9) of the Ivy League. The Harvard game is the only one at home.

The best most-played rivalry - OK, Lafayette again. The Leopards will host Lehigh in the 146th meeting on Nov. 20. Lehigh won 27-21 in overtime last season.

Roughest choice for a homecoming opponent - Maine, which should be improved after finishing 5-6 last season, welcomes defending FCS champion Villanova to Orono on Oct. 16.

Biggest difference in home venues - With renovations ongoing at Mississippi Valley State's Rice-Totten Field, the Delta Devils will play their Sept. 18 home game against Alcorn State at Soldier Field in Chicago, then three home games at nearby Greenville (Miss.) Weston High School - Prairie View A&M (Oct. 2), Grambling (Oct. 23) and Alabama A&M (Nov. 13).

Best quarterback matchup - Cameron Higgins and Weber State visit Michael Herrick and Northern Arizona on Nov. 13. First one to 500 yards wins.

Best this isn't the Big House game - Appalachian State at Florida, Nov. 20. Ummm ... Armanti Edwards, do you have any eligibility left?

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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.

Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.

Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.