Heat use unprecedented surge to topple Knicks

Basketball Betting Lines

01/23/2007 - Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Kapono scored 13 of his 22 points during a franchise-record 27-point run in the first quarter as the Miami Heat downed the New York Knicks, 101-83, despite not having guard Dwyane Wade and center Shaquille O'Neal in the lineup.

Wade missed the contest with a sprained left ankle, while O'Neal sat out his 34th consecutive game as he recovers from knee surgery. Wade is considered day-to-day, while O'Neal could also return any time soon.

Jason Williams added 20 points and seven assists and Udonis Haslem had 19 points and 10 boards for Miami, which ended a two-game slide. Gary Payton tallied 10 points, a season-high 13 assists and six boards and Alonzo Mourning had 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for the Heat, who led by as many as 28 points in the first half before needing a late run to hold off the pesky Knicks.

Eddy Curry had 26 points to lead New York, which has lost three of four. The Knicks' four other starters combined to score just 12 points with forwards Channing Frye and Jared Jeffries going scoreless. Jamal Crawford added 23 points and nine assists off the bench for the Knicks, who have lost eight of nine to Miami.

The Heat built a sizeable lead in the first quarter, thanks to the largest run in franchise history. After New York's Quentin Richardson gave the Knicks a 3-2 lead on a three-pointer, Miami took control by scoring the next 27 points. Haslem's bucket began the surge, giving Miami the lead for good, and he ended it with another basket inside the four-minute mark for a 29-3 cushion.

Kapono scored 13 points during the run, which allowed the Heat to cruise into the second with a 40-12 lead following Williams' three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Heat continued to cruise through the second quarter, leading by 22 points, 48-26, midway through the stanza and 15, 56-41, going into halftime.

New York started to gain ground late in the third quarter. Down 77-58 with two minutes left in the stanza, the Knicks bridged the final two quarters with a 14-2 run that eventually drew the club within 79-73. A Renaldo Balkman bucket made it a 77-64 contest after three quarters, while Curry's three-point play just under four minutes into the fourth ended the surge.

Miami, though, had an answer as James Posey hit a long-range jumper and Haslem connected to increase the lead back to 10 points, 83-73. Williams later hit a trey to make it an 88-77 contest with just over five minutes left. He then connected from long range again to increase the cushion to 91-79 with 4 1/2 minutes to go.

New York never threatened after that, running out of gas down the stretch.

Game Notes

Richardson and Stephon Marbury, the other two New York starters, scored six points each...Antoine Walker had 10 points for the Heat...These two teams have split the two games this season...The 40-point first quarter was the best of the season for Miami...Miami got its first win without Wade in the lineup this season, improving to 1-6.

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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.