Clippers down Bobcats; Livingston dislocates knee

Basketball Betting Lines

02/27/2007 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Corey Maggette feasted at the free throw line and ended with 25 points, as the Clippers topped Charlotte, 100-93, in a game marred by an ugly knee injury to Los Angeles guard Shaun Livingston.

Livingston completely dislocated his left knee while driving for a layup with 8:10 left in the opening quarter. He landed awkwardly on his left knee, which bent backwards with the kneecap protruding to the side. Livingston remained on the floor for a few minutes before being put on a stretcher and wheeled off the court.

"We were pleased about our win, but it came at a big price," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "This was a big loss for us. This was a shock for our guys, but they did a good job of bouncing back."

X-rays were negative and Livingston was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Dr. Steven Shimoyama put the kneecap back in place at the arena.

"I had to put traction on his knee and pull his shin bone forward," Shimoyama said. "Then I simultaneously put pressure on the inner side of his knee to get it back in the correct position. In other words, I needed to pop it into place."

Maggette made his first 18 free throws before going 1-for-2 for the final point of the game, as the Clippers put together back-to-back wins for the first time since a three-game surge January 28 - February 2. Cuttino Mobley had 16 points, while Elton Brand added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers.

"We were aggressive tonight," Brand said. "We had to put Shaun's injury in the back of our minds and move forward."

Gerald Wallace scored 20 and had 12 boards for the Bobcats, losers of two straight after a four-game win streak. Matt Carroll had 19 points and nine rebounds, while Adam Morrison scored 15.

The Clippers held a tight lead throughout the final quarter, although the Bobcats did crawl within 90-87 with 1:22 left on a Carroll jumper. However, Maggette made two free throws, and after Wallace went 1-for-2 at the line, Mobley hit two more foul shots.

Maggette made five more free throws in the final 36 seconds to secure LA's victory.

The Clippers led 30-25 after the opening quarter and pulled away in the second. Mobley's three-point play made it 43-29 with 8:37 left until halftime and it was 55-42 at the break.

Primoz Brezec's bank shot brought Charlotte within 60-58 midway through the third, and Carroll's three ball gave the Bobcats a 65-64 lead with 3:40 left in the period. However, LA bounced back and extended to a 72-67 margin following two free throws from Maggette and it was 74-70 going into the fourth.

However, most of what the Clippers talked about after the game was the devastating injury to Livingston.

"Injuries are a part of this game," Clippers guard Sam Cassell said. "He'll get an MRI tomorrow. Hopefully it will be better than it looked."

Game Notes

The Clippers have won all five meetings with the Bobcats...The fourth overall selection in the 2004 NBA draft, came into Monday's game averaging 9.5 points and 5.2 assists per contest...Cassell had 14 points and Tim Thomas 12 for LA, while Raymond Felton scored 13 and Brevin Knight 12 for Charlotte.

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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.

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