Ovechkin scores 50th, takes NHL points lead

Hockey Betting Lines

04/09/2010 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin took over the goal-scoring and points lead with his pair of markers and an assist as the Washington Capitals took a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers at Verizon Center.

Ovechkin now has 50 goals on the season and is one ahead of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby for the Maurice Richard Trophy. Also, he now sits at 109 points and is one ahead of Vancouver's Henrik Sedin for that mark.

Nicklas Backstrom scored twice while Jason Chimera also lit the lamp for the Capitals, who have already clinched the best record in the NHL and have now won five in a row. Jose Theodore stopped 29 shots in the win.

Evgeny Artyukhin and Clarke MacArthur each had a goal for the Thrashers, who have dropped their past four games. Ondrej Pavelec stopped 42 shots in the loss.

With the score tied in the third, the Capitals took the lead on Ovechkin's 50th of the season near the midway mark.

Chimera scored about 2 1/2 minutes later and Backstrom's second goal of the game 49 seconds later made it a 5-2 game.

Washington scored with 5:16 left in the first for a 1-0 lead. Ovechkin's first shot went wide of the net, but he got the puck back and put another shot on net. Pavelec stopped the shot, but Backstrom was there to put home the rebound.

Atlanta tied the game at the 11:15 mark of the second as Arturs Kulda sent a pass from the left circle to the slot where Artyukhin's one-timer found the back of the net.

Less than two minutes later, the Thrashers took the lead on MacArthur's shorthanded goal, but Ovechkin tied the game with 3:56 left in the frame on a slap shot that sailed past Pavelec.

Game Notes

The Capitals swept the season-series with Atlanta and has won eight straight...Over his five seasons in the NHL, Ovechkin has 269 goals in 395 games...Washington closes its regular season at home against Boston on Sunday...Atlanta, which went 16-18-7 on the road this season, closes out its campaign at home against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

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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.