Rockies try to pin 10th straight loss on reeling Padres

Baseball Betting Lines

09/05/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres try to avoid their worst losing streak in more than 16 years this afternoon when they play the finale of their three- game series with the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.

San Diego has been baseball's best story this season, but is mired in its worst losing streak since May of 2003 and has seen its lead atop the National League West trimmed to just two games over the San Francisco Giants.

"We have to get the confidence back," manager Bud Black said. "We have to get that swagger back."

The skid continued on Saturday, as Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez both knocked in two runs to help Colorado to a 6-2 win. Another loss today would give the Padres their first 10-game slide since a franchise-worst 13-game skid from May 8-21, 1994.

Troy Tulowitzki had two hits and scored two runs for the Rockies, who have won five of their last eight games to pull within 5 1/2 games of the Padres in the division.

Jason Hammel (10-7) gave up two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Hundley both doubled home a run for San Diego, while Jon Garland (13-10) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings.

"We need to turn (things) around," Hundley said. "We're a play away every single game or a hit away or a defensive play away from winning games. We're finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win. Until we figure out how to make that one play, get that one big hit, we're going to continue to struggle."

Only two teams in baseball history have endured losing streaks of at least 10 games and still reached the postseason. The 1951 New York Giants lost 11 in a row but still won the NL pennant and the 1982 Atlanta Braves dropped 11 straight but won the NL West.

Over the course of the streak the Padres are hitting .216 with 21 runs scored, while the pitching staff has posted a 5.29 ERA. The team has also been outscored, 51-21, during the current drought.

Hoping to get the Padres back on track this afternoon will be lefty Clayton Richard, who has just one loss in his last six decisions. However, that one loss came in his last trip to the hill last Sunday against Philadelphia, which reached him for four runs (two earned) and four hits in 7 2/3 innings to drop him to 12-6 on the year to go along with a 3.50 ERA.

Richard did not get a decision the last time he faced the Rockies and is 1-1 in six starts against them with a 4.79 ERA.

Colorado, meanwhile, will pin its hopes on lefty Jorge De La Rosa, who is 5-4 with a 4.26 ERA. De La Rosa did not get a decision on Monday in San Francisco, but pitched well, surrendering a run and four hits in seven innings of his team's 2-1 win. He also struck out nine in that effort, but also walked four.

De La Rosa has faced the Padres 12 times (eight starts) and is 1-2 against them with a 5.48 ERA.

Colorado has won 10 of its 14 meetings with the Padres in 2010, including wins in six of the eight matchups in San Diego.

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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.