Three share Humana Challenge lead

Golf Betting Lines

01/20/2012 - La Quinta, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Wilson fired a 10-under 62 Friday to join Ben Crane and David Toms atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the Humana Challenge.

Crane posted a nine-under 63. Both he and Wilson played the Palmer Private course at PGA West on Friday. Toms, who shared the first-round lead, posted a seven-under 65 on the Nicklaus Private course at PGA West.

The three are three strokes clear of the field at 16-under-par 128.

The field plays the two courses at PGA West as well as La Quinta Country Club over the first three days before the Palmer course hosts the final round.

Each professional is paired with an amateur during the first three rounds. Former President Bill Clinton, who lent his name to the event this year, will be among those competing in the third round.

This is the first time since 1964 that Bob Hope's name isn't associated with the tournament, though his name remains on the trophy.

Camilo Villegas, who shared the first-round lead with Toms, shot four-under 68 on the Palmer course to end 36 holes at 13-under-par 131.

He was joined in fourth place by Harris English (62), Chris Kirk (63) and Bobby Gates (63).

Chris DiMarco (64) and Brandt Snedeker (68) are among six players tied for eighth at minus-12.

Wilson got off to a hot start with birdies on his first three holes. Birdies on the sixth and eighth helped him make the turn at 11-under.

The 37-year-old birdied the 10th before converting a 15-footer for eagle on the par-five 11th. Wilson was two off the lead at that point, and he remained there with four straight pars.

Wilson moved into a share of the lead with birdies at 16 and 18.

"I just rolled in some long putts early...and that kind of got me going," said Wilson, whose 62 was a career low. "And I didn't make any bogeys and just did all the things you're supposed to do to shoot a low one."

Crane started his round on No. 10 at the Palmer course and he tripped to a bogey there. He bounced right back with an eagle on No. 11. Crane holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker on the par-three 12th.

The four-time winner on the PGA Tour dropped in back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15. Crane tripped to a bogey at 16, but birdied his next two holes to head to the front side at minus-12.

Crane birdied the second, fourth and sixth to climb up the leaderboard. He finished at 16-under after making a 17-foot birdie effort on the ninth.

"I made a lot of 10- and 15-footers and I made all my kind of close putts for birdie," Crane stated. "I had 22 putts today, so I just putted extremely well and every part of my game felt great. I guess that's how you do it."

Toms birdied the 10th on the Nicklaus course, but gave that right back as he bogeyed the 11th. He carded birdies at the 14th and 16th to get to 11-under.

The 2001 PGA Champion parred five in a row around the turn. Toms ended that run with a birdie on the fourth. Over the last three holes, he picked up four strokes.

Toms birdied the seventh and ninth to go with an eagle on the par-five eighth.

"Tee shots were a little erratic today, I guess you would say. I really didn't do much of anything," Toms admitted. "I started to hit some better shots, hit some good putts that didn't go in, and then made a few and then finished great. I turned just a so-so day into a pretty solid day."

Ryan Moore had the round of the day. Playing on the Nicklaus course, Moore bogeyed the second and third. He erased those mistakes with an eagle on the par-five fourth.

Moore poured in 11 birdies in a 12-hole span from the sixth to soar into a share of 14th at 11-under-par 133. He birdied six in a row from the sixth, then five straight from the 13th.

NOTES: Dustin Johnson and Scott Stallings both withdrew on Friday...Johnson, who is recovering from knee surgery, withdrew due to a stiff back, while Stallings had a rib injury...Villegas in the only non-American among the top 13 on the leaderboard.

Cbssportaline Golf Betting News

<< Flames place Glencross on IR
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames placed forward Curtis Glencross on injured reserve with an MCL injury Friday. He is expected to miss at least six weeks because of the injury. Glencross has appeared in 45 games f

<< Ginn, Goldson and Willis questionable for NFC Championship
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ted Ginn, safety Dashon Goldson and linebacker Patrick Willis are listed as questionable for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants. Ginn has not pract

<< Report: Dolphins name Philbin head coach
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins have named former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their new head coach, according to a report in the Miami Herald. Philbin was the offensive coordinator of the Packe

<< Julien, Tortorella, McLellan to coach NHL All-Star game
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston's Claude Julien, New York Rangers' John Tortorella and San Jose's Todd McLellan will be the head coaches for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. Julien will be the head coach of Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara's

<< Rangers sign Hawpe to minor league deal
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers signed first baseman/outfielder Brad Hawpe to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to the team's spring training camp. Hawpe spent the 2011 campaign wit

Dolphins name Philbin head coach >>
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins have named former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their new head coach. Philbin was the offensive coordinator of the Packers from 2007-2011 and helped Green Bay's o

Tsonga rolls into fourth round in Melbourne >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jo-Wilfred Tsonga was a straight-set winner Saturday in third-round action at the Australian Open. France's Tsonga, the tournament's sixth seed, handled Frederico Gil of Portugal 6-2, 6-2,

Lehman, Vaughan on top at Hualalai >>
Kaupulehu-Kona, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tom Lehman and Bruce Vaughan carded matching rounds of seven-under 65 Friday and they share the lead after the opening round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. Lehman is coming off a season in whic

Nuggets sneak past Wizards >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Al Harrington had 29 points and made a big three-pointer late in the fourth quarter, as the Denver Nuggets snuck past the Washington Wizards, 108-104. Harrington also pulled down seven rebounds for the Nug

Aldridge shines as Trail Blazers drop Raptors >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With 33 points and 23 rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge became the seventh player in Portland franchise history to record a 30-20 game as the Trail Blazers took down the Toronto Raptors, 94-84. Zach Randolp

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.

MySportsbook.com is a must-have for the smart veteran sports investor who enjoys following the odds almost as much as betting them. Simply put, no one offers more betting options and offers them faster than MySportsbook. This football sportsbook is known for its ability to set the early market odds on events without having to worry about weak lines. Professional players are well aware that getting a crack at the early betting line is worth as much as, and sometimes more than, huge bonuses or reduced prices. MySportsbook's fearless, yet smart bookmaking style is what keeps everyone watching, including most other sportsbooks.

This is also a great choice for those who just want to have a worry free, fun experience. The ownership’s motto is “Sweat the game, not the payout”. These are not just decorative words used to fill space on the homepage. MySportsbook aims to give their customers the fastest withdrawals in the industry. Payouts are processed within 24 hours by an online sportsbook that carries our A+ financial rating.

Those who enjoy proposition and future wagers consider MySportsbook.com a top choice. Smaller players who seek large bonuses would do better at their sister book, Sportsbooks.com.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.