Golf Tidbits: Where has Stuart Appleby's game gone?
Golf Betting Lines
03/11/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Once the top-ranked Australian in the
world, Stuart Appleby has plummeted in the world rankings as his winless
streak stretches into its fourth season.
Appleby owns eight PGA Tour titles, including three straight wins at the
winners-only Mercedes Championships, now known as the SBS Championship. The
Australian ended his run of three straight wins at that event in 2006, and
later that season won the Houston Open. Since then, nothing, at least in terms
of wins.
Appleby had a decent 2007 with four top-10 finishes worldwide, and two top-12
finishes in the four majors. The following season, he was off to a blazing
start. After missing the cut in his first start of the '08 season, Appleby
reeled off six consecutive top-10s, five of which came on the PGA Tour. But
following that hot start, he posted just two more top-10s the rest of 2008.
Despite making the cut in all four majors and tying for second at the WGC-
Bridgestone Invitational, he was unable to break back into the winners circle.
Last year, Appleby had five times as many missed cuts (10) as top-10 finishes,
(two). Two of his missed cuts were at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship.
Things have not gotten any better this season. Appleby has started in seven
PGA Tour events and made the cut just twice. Neither time did he finish in the
top 60.
He will be absent from the WGC event this week, making it three in a row that
he has missed after playing in 32 straight WGC events.
With all of his struggles, Appleby has plummeted to No. 151 in the world. Not
only that, but there are now 13 fellow Australians ranked ahead of Appleby in
the current world rankings. His star has fallen so much that he needed to use a
one-time exemption to keep his PGA Tour card this season. The exemption he used
stems from him being ranked in the Top 25 on the PGA Tour's career money list.
Last year was the first time since his rookie year that he finished outside
the top 125 on the money list, which is the cutoff point to keep your tour
card for the next season.
Appleby's poor form also cost him a spot on the International Presidents Cup
team last year, after he had played the previous five teams.
His driving distance this year has fallen more than 18 yards from his peak of
300.6 yards in 2005, and his greens in regulation stats have fallen below 60-
percent for the first time since he joined the PGA Tour.
Those two stats do not tell the entire story, but hitting the ball shorter and
hitting fewer greens is a recipe for higher scores and poor results.
What makes his fall from grace unusual is that there is no injury to blame.
Appleby has just has just lost his game. He went so far as to joke about it on
his Twitter page.
After he made the cut last week at the Honda Classic, Appleby posted this on
his Twitter account, "Made the cut...Stop the press."
LOOK OUT FOR THE MOLINARI BROTHERS
Francesco and Edoardo Molinari continue to set firsts on the PGA Tour, and in
the golf world in general. This week, they were ranked back-to-back in the
official world golf rankings.
Edoardo, the younger of the two and the 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, was ranked
47th, less than one average point ahead of Francesco.
The world golf rankings started in 1987, so it is difficult to say they are the
highest-rated brothers ever. One thing is for sure, they will be the first
brother combination to play at the Masters since Jumbo and Joe Ozaki in 2000.
It will be the second trip to Augusta for Edoardo, whose U.S. Amateur victory
gained him a spot in the 2006 Masters field. Francesco caddied for his brother
that week, when the younger Molinari played alongside defending champion Tiger
Woods for the first two rounds.
In the past few months, they have established a pair of familial firsts. In
November, they became the first brothers to win the Omega Mission Hills World
Cup, and in February were the first brothers to qualify for a World Golf
Championship event when they both competed at the Accenture Match Play
Championship.
Francesco has won once on the European Tour, while Edoardo was victorious
twice last season on the European Challenge Tour. However, Edoardo is off to a
better start this year with a pair of fourth-place finishes.
Including the three Ozaki brothers - who combined for over 140 wins on the
Japan Golf Tour - there have been other previous outstanding brother
combinations in golf. Dave and Mike Hill posted over 51 professional wins, and
Lanny and Bobby Wadkins had over 20 professional wins, including Lanny's
victory at the 1977 PGA Championship.
Francesco and Edoardo have plenty of time to catch these "other brothers," as
they are just 27 and 29 years old, respectively.
MINI-TIDBITS
- Ryo Ishikawa was one of two players ranked in the top 50 in the world to
miss last week's WGC - CA Championship. His excuse? He was at his high school
graduation.
- Steve Pate, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour and two-time Ryder Cupper,
became the oldest winner on the Nationwide Tour when he won the Bogota Open
last week. Pate will turn 49 on May 26.
<< Habs hope to stay hot against Oilers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens continue their push for a postseason
berth when the surging club continues its current homestand with tonight's
bout against the Edmonton Oilers from the Bell Centre.
Montreal has won its last three
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New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Norm Roberts is reportedly out as head coach
at St. John's after six seasons with the Red Storm.
The New York Post cited sources within the university as saying Roberts won't
be back for the 2010-11 season.
<< Thrashers try to end slide in Columbus
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers will be out to halt a poorly-timed
three-game losing streak in tonight's matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets
from Nationwide Arena.
Atlanta had put itself in the Eastern Conference playoff mix with
<< Surging Irish set sights on Panthers in tournament play
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a surprising regular-season showing, the
16th-ranked and second-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers now begin their run in the
Big East Tournament tonight against the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting
Irish in the
<< Wildcats and Golden Eagles square off in Big East Tourney
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams that have a history of playing close
games meet in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament today, as the
fifth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles battle the fourth-seeded and 10th-ranked
Villanova
Blazers hit the road to Golden State >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoping to keep their playoff aspirations alive, the
Portland Trail Blazers will hit the road for back-to-back games starting with
tonight's showdown against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena.
Portland is e
Lightning hope to get on track versus Maple Leafs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will aim for just their second win
in eight games when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Air Canada
Centre.
The Lightning are only five points out of a playoff berth in the Eastern
Conf
Hawks hope to snap funk in DC >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks hope to avoid a third straight loss when
they wrap up a three-game road trip Thursday night against the Southeast
Division-rival Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.
Atlanta is winless so far
Blues visit Islanders at Nassau Coliseum >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues will try to get back on track tonight
when they visit the New York Islanders for an interconference clash at Nassau
Coliseum.
The Blues pushed their winning streak to a season-high five games by posting
Surging Flyers host Bruins in Winter Classic rematch >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers will try to continue their surge in
the right direction when they host the Boston Bruins tonight at Wachovia
Center.
The Flyers are 7-1-1 in their last nine games and have greatly improved their
pl
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.
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Bet on NFL Football
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
NFL football gambling
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
read more
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