No end in sight for LT's dream season

Football Betting Lines

12/20/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LaDainian Tomlinson has been busy shattering records all season long, but this year it is clear that the superstar running back's ambitions go well beyond personal achievements.

Tomlinson's legend is growing with each passing week, and there is no better way to cement a legacy than by winning a Super Bowl. That team goal is what drives not only Tomlinson, but also the rest of his teammates.

The Chargers (12-2) have won eight straight contests, and each victory in that stretch has helped solidify San Diego's status as the team to beat in the NFL this season. San Diego also has the best record in the AFC, and is still fighting to seal up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

The relentless running of Tomlinson is the most obvious reason San Diego may be headed to its first-ever Super Bowl championship season, and LT didn't disappoint in his most recent game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tomlinson rushed for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Chargers to the 20-9 triumph over the visiting Chiefs this past Sunday.

It was another day of record-breaking for Tomlinson, who snapped an NFL record that stood for 46 years. His two TDs this week gives him 186 points on the season, breaking the mark of 176 set by Green Bay Packers halfback/placekicker Paul Hornung in 1960.

Also, he scored multiple touchdowns for the eighth straight week, breaking the tie he held with Washington's John Riggins, who originally set the standard in 1983.

And we can't forget Tomlinson now has 31 touchdowns (28 rushing, 3 receiving) on the season to further improve upon the mark of 28 set by Seattle's Shaun Alexander last year.

"It's happening so much now, I can't keep up anymore," Tomlinson said of the record-breaking season. "To be honest, I don't want to keep up. I'll let everyone else do that. I just want to keep rolling."

Tomlinson's 199-yard day also gave him a good shot at something LT surprisingly can't currently claim on his resume, a rushing title. At this point he leads the NFL with 1,626 rushing yards, and is 110 yards ahead of Kansas City's Larry Johnson.

WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSE?

While Tomlinson garners the majority of the accolades and headlines, the Chargers defense has become one of the most-feared units in all of football and is another big reason San Diego has become this year's Super Bowl favorite.

San Diego displayed its stingy defense this past week, as it held the Chiefs to just 241 yards of total offense. The Chargers were also able to limit KC running back Larry Johnson to just 84 yards on the ground.

However, the Chargers were most impressive this week in their ability to get to the quarterback. San Diego, which leads the NFL with 54 sacks, dropped KC quarterback Trent Green six times in Sunday's contest.

"We added a few wrinkles that put pressure on the quarterback and created some errant throws and gave us a chance to make some plays in a timely fashion," said head coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Chargers outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was held without a sack, but that's just fine with the second-year star, because that meant more for his teammates.

"They had a pretty good scheme in keeping the outside pass rushers from getting to the quarterback," Merriman said. "Like I've said all along, double- team me and someone else is going to make a play. We saw some of that [Sunday] night. I was proud of the way our guys got after them."

RIVERS RUNS DRY

It was a good thing Tomlinson had another huge day on Sunday, because Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers had his worst game of the season.

Rivers, a first-year starter, completed just 8-of-23 passes for 97 yards and two interceptions. That gave the young QB a dismal 12.4 passer rating on the day.

"The passing game wasn't very good," Rivers said. "The first thing that has to be good to have a good passing game is I have to be throwing it well, and I wasn't. But I tell you what, we won and that's what's most important."

Overall, it's been a very good year for Rivers, who is seventh in the NFL with a 91.5 passer rating.

UP NEXT

The Chargers head north next Sunday, when they visit the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.


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.