Canucks roll into Calgary

Hockey Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Canucks have been piling up the points lately and Vancouver will try to keep that trend going tonight, when it visits the Calgary Flames for a Northwest Division clash at the Saddledome.

The Canucks, who lead the division by 14 points over Colorado, have won three straight and have recorded at least a point in eight straight outings (6-0-2). Vancouver has suffered just two regulation losses during the 2012 calendar year, posting a 10-2-3 mark since the beginning of January.

Vancouver will also try to end a four-game road trip with a perfect 4-0 record tonight. The Canucks, who are three points behind Detroit for the top seed in the West and the NHL, have a league-best 19-9-1 record as the guest this season.

The Canucks were glad to have Henrik Sedin in the lineup for their last game and he scored a goal in Vancouver's 5-2 win in Minnesota. Sedin took a puck off his ankle in Tuesday's win over Nashville, but the Swedish forward was able to play in his 553rd consecutive game on Thursday. Only Calgary defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has a longer active iron man streak in the NHL.

"All Swedes are tough, right?" Vancouver defenseman and Sedin's countryman Alex Edler joked after the game. "Hank is a warrior, he's played with pain before and it was big of him."

Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist in the win over the Wild, while Maxim Lapierre, Manny Malhotra and Ryan Kesler also scored for the Canucks. It was Vancouver's first regulation win since a 4-3 decision over San Jose on Jan. 21.

Cory Schneider had 22 saves to post the win for the Canucks, but Roberto Luongo expects to be back between the pipes tonight.

Henrik Sedin enters tonight on a five-game point streak, while Kesler has scored goals in five consecutive outings and has six tallies and one assist during a seven-game point streak.

The Flames are 2-0-2 so far in February and will try to use a brief two-game homestand to aid their push for the playoffs. Calgary is currently tied with Minnesota for the 11th seed in the West and is just two points out of a playoff spot.

Calgary ended a three-game road trip on Thursday with a 2-1 overtime setback in Phoenix. Shane Doan scored the game-winner in OT for the Coyotes.

Olli Jokinen tallied a goal and Leland Irving made 34 saves in what was the Flames' fourth loss in six games.

"We knew it wasn't going to be an easy game." Flames head coach Brent Sutter said. "It's a point you could of had that you let get away from you, but the positive is that you did get a point."

The Flames, who will also Toronto on Tuesday, are 14-8-2 as the host this season compared to an 11-14-6 mark on the road.

Calgary had lost five straight in the series with the Canucks before posting a 3-1 win in Vancouver the last time the clubs met on Dec. 23. The Canucks have still claimed five straight at the Saddledome.

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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.