Canucks hope to cool off Blackhawks

Hockey Betting Lines

12/20/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Excitement is starting to mount in Vancouver. The Canucks will play their first game tonight since the signing of Mats Sundin, as they host the Chicago Blackhawks at GM Place.

After deciding not to sign with a team this past offseason and also pondering possible retirement, Sundin elected to rejoin the league by signing with the Canucks on Thursday. Though not expected to join the club until December 27, the 37-year-old former first-overall pick should provide a nice little boost to a Vancouver team that is currently one point behind Calgary for first place in the Northwest Division.

Sundin played the last 13 of his 17 NHL seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and has 555 goals and 766 assists in 1,305 games. He became a free agent this past offseason after declining to waive his no-trade clause during the 2007-08 season, when Toronto went 36-35-11 and missed the playoffs. The Swede posted 32 goals and 46 assists for the Maple Leafs last season.

Meanwhile, Vancouver enters this game coming off an emotionally-charged 4-2 victory over Edmonton on Wednesday. Daniel Sedin scored twice and picked up an assist in leading the Canucks on the night they raised former captain Trevor Linden's No. 16 into the rafters, just the second number retired in club history.

Jannik Hansen registered a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who have won three of their last four games. Curtis Sanford made 22 saves to collect the win.

Vancouver, 9-3-1 as the host this year, has now won the first two games of its current four-game homestand that ends on Monday versus Anaheim. However, the Canucks may have to continue that residency without a pair of defenseman in Sami Salo and Shane O'Brien. Salo left Thursday's game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss four weeks, while O'Brien exited due to a leg issue and is questionable for tonight.

The Canucks will be facing one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now in the Blackhawks, who have won six straight games after last night's 3-2 overtime victory against Calgary.

Duncan Keith netted the winning goal just 23 seconds into OT, while Dave Bolland and Patrick Kane each scored once for the Blackhawks, who won six straight for the first time since December 26, 2001-January 6, 2002.

The club hasn't won seven in a row in nearly 28 years, last doing so from January 4-21, 1981.

Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 32 shots and Brian Campbell recorded a pair of assists in helping the Blackhawks improve to 7-0-1 in December. That run has helped Chicago move to within five points of first-place Detroit in the Central Division.

Chicago ends a three-game tour of western Canada tonight, having opened the swing with a 9-2 victory in Edmonton. The Blackhawks are 7-5-3 on the road, but has lost two straight and 10 of their last 11 in Vancouver.

Collegecluv Hockey Betting News

<< Coyotes aim to extend home run in battle with Blue Jackets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Unlike last year, the Coyotes are sending their fans home happy after games. Phoenix will try to record at least a point in a sixth straight game as the host tonight, when they welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to Jobing.com

<< Wild shoot for another victory in test versus Blues
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild recently ended a lengthy losing streak and the Blues would like to do the same tonight, when the two clubs get together at St. Louis' Scottrade Center. Minnesota had dropped a franchise-record six straig

<< Iowa State names Rhoads new head football coach
Ames, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Rhoads was named the new head football coach at Iowa State on Saturday morning, an ironic twist in the Iowa State-Auburn coaching connection in the past week. A 6:00 p.m. (et) news conference is schedul

<< Islanders try again for first win in December versus Preds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders still haven't won a game in December, something they will try to fix tonight in a road test versus the Nashville Predators at the Sommet Center. New York has gone 0-7-1 since defeating Ottawa to clos

<< Thrashers take on Lightning in matchup of struggling clubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The bottom two teams in the Southeast Division will meet tonight in Atlanta, as the Thrashers host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Philips Arena. The Lightning are tied with the New York Islanders for last in the NHL with just

Sharks aim to get back on track against Rangers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Sharks may have picked a bad time for just their second losing streak of the season. They will try to avoid dropping three in a row for the first time this season while also notching their first home win over the

Broncos battle Horned Frogs in Poinsettia Bowl >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - As one of only two teams at the Football Bowl Subdivision level to currently sport an unblemished record, the ninth-ranked Boise State Broncos have been rewarded, not with an invitation to a BCS Bowl, but with a

Westwood moves ahead by two in South Africa >>
Paarl, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lee Westwood posted his second consecutive four-under 68 on Saturday and moved atop the leaderboard after the third round of the South African Open. Westwood finished 54 holes at 14-under 20

Hawaii Bowl pits Fighting Irish against Warriors >>
Honolulu, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the fifth time in the seven-year history of the Hawaii Bowl, the locals get a chance to keep the trophy out on the island as the Hawaii Warriors clash with the once-mighty Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Honolul

McCarthy's brace helps Hamilton down Motherwell >>
Hamilton, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James McCarthy scored a goal in each half as Hamilton helped its relegation chances with a 2-0 win over Motherwell at New Douglas Park on Saturday. The teenage midfielder scored the opening goal rig

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.