Rutgers faces tough task in Big East bout with No. 10 Marquette

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/22/2012 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will try to stop the bleeding as they head to the Bradley Center for Big East Conference action with the 10th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles.

Marquette and Rutgers have met six times before. The Golden Eagles hold a 5-1 lead in the all-time series after picking up victories in each of the last five matchups.

Rutgers fell for the fifth straight game on Sunday as it was bested 74-64 by the Syracuse Orange. The Scarlet Knights shot 41.9 percent from the field, but slightly won the rebounding battle 34-29 with Syracuse in the loss. Second year head coach Mike Rice's Rutgers team is 12-15 and 4-10 in Big East action. The Scarlet Knights have not been overwhelming offensively, averaging just 65.6 ppg, and they have allowed opponents to outscore them with an average of only 64.7 ppg.

The Scarlet Knights are a very young team as no seniors receive significant playing time. Freshman guard Eli Carter leads the charge with a scoring average of 13.4 ppg. Carter has scored in double figures 20 times this season and ranks third among freshmen in scoring in league play. Myles Mack has been a very serviceable sixth man. In his last 16 games, Mack has netted 10.0 ppg off the bench. With Gilvydas Biruta providing size and scoring from the forward position and Dane Miller's energetic play on the wing, Rutgers has the tools to hang around with nearly anyone, but still lacks the experience.

Marquette enters tonight's bout with a 22-5 overall record and an 11-3 mark in Big East play, which has it tied for second in the conference with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Golden Eagles picked up their third straight win on Saturday as they defeated Connecticut 79-64. Head coach Buzz Williams did not use a player taller than 6-7 against the Huskies, yet the Golden Eagles still finished with a 33-30 advantage on the boards. Marquette is a very talented team offensively, as it is second in the Big East in scoring offense with an average of 76.7 ppg. The Golden Eagles are allowing opponents to produce 65.5 ppg.

The Golden Eagles are led by their dynamic duo of Darius Johnson-Odum and Jae Crowder. Johnson-Odum is second in the Big East in scoring with an average of 18.6 ppg after he netted 24 points against Connecticut. It was the third contest in a row the senior guard scored 20 points or more. Crowder is contributing 16.7 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game. Vander Blue and Todd Mayo are chipping in 8.5 ppg each, while Junior Cadougan is dishing out 5.7 assists per contest.

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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.