This Week in Golf -- February 2nd through February 5th

Golf Betting Lines

01/30/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR - WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN - TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona - The biggest party on the PGA Tour is this week in Arizona.

Hundreds of thousands of fans will make their way to the desert this week for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The raucous par-three 16th will have between 20,000-30,000 fans encircling the hole per day.

The 16th had been one of the loudest holes on tour, but it jumped to a different level in 1997 when Tiger Woods showed up. Woods aced the par-three and sent the crowd into a frenzy rarely seen on a golf course.

The hole has groups of fans that travel every year to this event and lead the crowd in chants and cheers that include everything from college fight songs of the players on the tee to players' pets names.

The event is played annually on Super Bowl weekend so the large crowds tend to dwindle late in the final round.

Those who left last year missed some extra golf, as did many others. Frost delays earlier in the week pushed the event back and forced a Monday finish.

Mark Wilson and Jason Dufner were among those who returned to the TPC Scottsdale on Monday to finish their rounds. Dufner polished off a 66, while Wilson capped a 69. The duo ended at 18-under, two clear of Vijay Singh and Martin Laird.

Wilson and Dufner headed to extra holes, and they matched pars on the first playoff hole. They shifted to the 10th, where Wilson closed out the event.

Dufner had some 60 feet for birdie, but left that putt around six feet from the hole. Wilson rendered Dufner's putt useless as he ran in his seven-footer for birdie.

The victory was Wilson's fourth on the PGA Tour and came a day after his beloved Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl.

Wilson is one of nine former champions in the field and is one of three players competing this week who has already won this season. Reigning PGA Champion Keegan Bradley is one of 10 major champions scheduled to play.

Last year's playoff was the third in the last four years after 11 consecutive years without an extra session.

Golf Channel will broadcast the first two rounds before CBS takes over on the weekend.

Tiger Woods will make his first PGA Tour start of the year next week as the tour returns to California for the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

D.A. Points closed with a 67 last year to win that event, and he also won the Pro-Am portion with comedian Bill Murray. It was a Cinderella story indeed, as Murray won for the first time in his 20 years playing the event.

EUROPEAN TOUR

COMMERCIALBANK QATAR MASTERS - Doha Golf Club, Doha, Qatar - The European Tour is in the middle of a three-week swing through the Persian Gulf region and this week's stop is the Qatar Masters.

A strong field will be on hand as Thomas Bjorn defends his title. Bjorn snapped a four-year winless drought in 2010, and carried the momentum into 2011. This was his first of three wins last year.

After struggling to a two-over 74 in the opening round, Bjorn went 65-66 in the middle two rounds, before closing with a 69 to earn a four-stroke win at Doha Golf Club.

Bjorn ended four clear of Alvaro Quiros, who also had a poor opening round. The Spaniard started with a 75, but rallied to take second place.

The field this week includes five of the top 15 players in the world and 10 of the top 40 overall. Among that group is Quiros, the 2009 winner, and 2010 champ Robert Karlsson.

Golf Channel will carry the action all four rounds.

The European Tour wraps up its Gulf swing next week as Quiros defends his title at that Dubai Desert Classic.

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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.

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