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05/20/2010 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brooks Conrad hit a pinch-hit, game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Atlanta Braves scored seven times in the frame to come back and shock the Cincinnati Reds, 10-9, and complete the sweep of a brief two-game series at Turner Field.
Nate McLouth contributed a two-run single in the ninth, while Martin Prado and Jason Heyward knocked in a run apiece for the Braves, who have won three straight and eight of their last 10 overall.
Atlanta's Tommy Hanson got the start and was raked for a career-high eight runs on as many hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts in only 1 2/3 innings. Craig Kimbrel (1-0) was credited with the win for tossing a scoreless top of the ninth. It was his first major league victory.
Joey Votto cracked his first career grand slam, while Laynce Nix added a solo shot and knocked in three for Cincinnati, which has dropped two in a row after winning four straight.
Mike Leake worked six solid innings, giving up three runs -- one earned -- on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Francisco Cordero (1-3) absorbed the loss for giving up the grand slam in the ninth.
"It was kind of a shock, disappointing, obviously to finish off the game that way," Votto said. "I don't think anybody assumed we were going to win the game until it was over, but you go into the ninth inning comfortable and the bullpen has been excellent so far, another reason it was a shock to us."
Mike Lincoln replaced Leake after six frames and appeared to have things in total control after throwing a perfect seventh and eighth inning. The veteran right-hander stayed on for the ninth with the Reds up 9-3 and got into trouble.
Three straight singles loaded the bases and McClouth's two-run base hit made it a 9-5 game, leaving runners on the corners with nobody out.
Nick Masset came in out of the bullpen and walked David Ross to load the bases. Masset then got Prado to ground to third, but Miguel Cairo was unable to get the ball out of his glove, allowing another run to cross the plate. Arthur Rhodes entered the game and struck out Heyward.
Manager Dusty Baker again turned to his bullpen and brought in Cordero, who left a 2-2 fastball out over the plate and Conrad hammered it to deep left. Nix appeared to have a beat on the ball, but as he leapt at the wall to grab it, the ball hit off the left fielder's glove and went over for the dramatic grand slam.
"What an unbelievable game," Conrad said. "Getting down early, them hitting Tommy (Hanson) like that. Just perseverance. We stuck there the whole game, we scratched out a few runs, guys battled in the ninth and gave us a chance. Definitely unbelievable excitement. I'm speechless right now."
Hanson worked out of trouble in the first, but the young right-hander wasn't so fortunate in the second, as the Reds sent 12 men to the plate and pushed across eight runs -- all with two outs.
Cincinnati loaded the bases before Cairo's RBI base hit got the scoring started. Votto then crushed a fastball into the center field seats for a 5-0 game. After the next two batters reached, Ramon Hernandez brought in a run with a base hit and Nix followed with a two-run double to make it 8-0. Hanson was lifted for Jesse Chavez, who got the final out of the inning.
Atlanta got on the board in the third when Prado hit a ground-rule double and crossed the plate on Leake's missed catch error at first base on a grounder hit by Heyward.
Nix clubbed a solo shot in the fifth to make it a 9-1 game before the Braves responded with two in the bottom half. Atlanta loaded the bases with a walk and two singles, then Heyward grounded to first and Votto's throw was dropped at second base by shortstop Orlando Cabrera, allowing two runs to score.
Game Notes
The Reds won six of nine versus the Braves last year, sweeping all three meetings at Turner Field from September 4-6...Atlanta finished 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded only four runners, while Cincinnati went 4-for-13 with RISP and left eight.
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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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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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