Kings try to continue mastery of Panthers

Hockey Betting Lines

02/09/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three goals seems to be the magic number for the Kings, but their first meeting with the Panthers this season was one of the exceptions to the rule.

Los Angeles shoots for its eighth straight win over struggling Florida this evening and a possible share of the Pacific Division lead.

The lowest-scoring team with 114 goals on the season, the Kings were held to just one goal total over the first two contests of their five-game road trip, getting shut out in St. Louis last Friday before a 2-1 defeat the following night in Carolina.

Los Angeles' offense got back on track a bit on Tuesday, getting goals from Anze Kopitar, Dustin Penner and Kyle Clifford, who had the game-winner, in a 3-1 triumph over the Lightning. The Kings moved to 15-0-1 on the year when scoring three or more goals and got 24 saves from goaltender Jonathan Quick.

"Usually when we do get three, we're pretty safe with [Quick] back there, obviously," said Kopitar, who has 11 points in his past 12 games and a team- leading 47 on the season. "He kept us in the game in the first period. They came hard after we scored, and he definitely gave us a chance. That's all you want from your goaltender."

Clifford put the Kings ahead for good when he hoped out of the penalty box and took a long feed from defenseman Rob Scuderi before scoring on a backhander.

"I knew he was coming out of the box, but it was more of an area pass than anything," Scuderi said. "Cliff did the rest. He was real smart by going to the middle of the ice. I kind of threw it out there, but I think it was mostly him getting under it."

Mike Richards added an assist for the Kings, his first point in nine games.

The victory pulled Los Angeles to within two points of San Jose for first place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks, who have three more wins than the Kings, have 64 points on the season.

Los Angeles didn't need three goals to beat Florida back on Dec. 1, getting 41 saves from Quick in a 2-1 win. The Kings have won the past seven encounters since their last loss to the Panthers on Nov. 27, 2002 and haven't lost in Florida since Oct. 26, 2001, winning its past three trips there.

The Panthers will look to snap those skids this evening and get back into first place in the Southeast Division. Florida fell a point behind Washington due to Tuesday's 4-0 setback to the Capitals and now sit ninth overall in the East despite being so close to first place.

Washington hosts Winnipeg this evening.

Former Florida goaltender Tomas Vokoun made 42 saves for Washington, while Scott Clemmensen allowed four goals on 24 shots. He was beaten for a goal just 13 seconds into the game and Florida lost for the ninth time in its last 13 games (4-5-4).

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen cautioned against overreacting to the bad loss.

"This is NHL hockey. It's not saving the world," he said. "When you take a good tail-kicking, you have to recognize it and accept it and say how can we be better next game."

Jose Theodore, currently battling a strained knee, gave up both goals to the Kings on 26 shots in the December meeting.

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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.